


Nevermore

by thealphagate_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, First Time, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-23
Updated: 2006-03-23
Packaged: 2019-02-02 08:00:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12722700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thealphagate_archivist/pseuds/thealphagate_archivist
Summary: This is set in the alternative universe of 'There But For The Grace Of God', and is my sequel to ‘Fallen From Grace’. Consequently, this may make more sense if you read ‘Fallen from Grace’ first.





	Nevermore

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the archivists: this story was originally archived at [The Alpha Gate](https://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Alpha_Gate), a Stargate SG-1 archive, which began migration to the AO3 in 2017 when its hosting software, eFiction, was no longer receiving support. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. We e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are this creator and it hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Alpha Gate collection profile](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/thealphagate).

  
Author's notes: Warnings: Reference to character death, similar to in 'There But For the Grace of God'. m/m sex.  


* * *

Chapter 1

"I can not believe you didn't tell me how cold that water was!"

"What did you expect? It's nearly the end of October, Daniel." Jack shook his head, dog-like, showering Daniel again.

Daniel watched thoughtfully as Jack towelled himself dry, excused himself and headed towards the kitchen area.

These silences were turning into a bit of a habit, Jack thought. Not uncomfortable ones, but maybe a cause for concern all the same. Jack wondered how much longer Daniel could hold out, knew that the guy was starting to get a little uncomfortable around him, knew that Daniel had a big secret he didn't want to share, a bombshell he didn't want to drop.

Jack knew what it was. Early on, right after they'd got rid of the Goa'uld, Jack had discovered that Daniel was gay. They'd been sitting at a table one night, in the makeshift camp the USAF had set up outside of Cheyenne. Bra'tac had just driven off with a contingent of his men and a sizeable amount of welding equipment. They were already on the final repairs to the mother ship.

Jack had taken off his boots, turned and stretched out his feet towards the fire. The twisting movement had caused his new wallet to rub against him, so he took it out and fingered the solitary photo one of the Captains had managed to print out for him.

Daniel gazed over briefly, decided to give him his moment of privacy.

"You know, when things calm down a bit, we should really take a break. We deserve one."

Daniel liked the sound of that 'we', humoured him.

"Anywhere in mind?"

"I've... I've got this cabin up in Minnesota."

Maybe not what Daniel had been expecting, but hey, he could run with that.

"Used to go up there with Sam."

"Oh? Really?"

The glint of surprise tinged with pleasure was unmistakable.

"Yeah... she always used to complain that it was too cold."

"Oh."

And Jack couldn't help but notice that at the word 'she', Daniel had surreptitiously slumped in his chair a little, and was fairly quiet for the rest of the night.

And then there were the other things, of course. He never, ever noticed when one of the female officers was trying the old come-on. No guy was ever that naive. And it being the Air Force, some of the ladies were a bit more direct. In Daniel's extremely polite way, he turned them all down flat. His words, body language and attitude spoke volumes. What with everything else that had been going on, it hardly seemed of national importance. Jack just shoved the information to one side, thought 'hey-ho', and got on with the paperwork.

Jack rummaged through the bags in the kitchen and found himself some fresh clothes. It was kind of liberating, having to start all over again, while at the same time being a colossal pain in the butt.

He quickly pulled on the pants and sweater and set about putting the groceries away.

Daniel came through five minutes later, back in the clothes he had worn for the drive up.

"Need a hand?"

"Oh, yeah. If you could just sort through the bags, pull out any clothes and take them through to the bedroom."

"Okay." He stopped, looked up. "Bedroom?"

"Well, yeah. Where did you think you would be sleeping?"

"Er... Jack. Um. You've only got the one bedroom?"

"Look around you, Daniel. It's not a big cabin."

Daniel nodded to himself, keeping his gaze on the bags in front of him. "Right," he said in a mouse-like voice.

Jack didn't know quite what to say at this point. I mean, he was okay with it, he really was. He'd known the guy for two months or so and they'd been through some really tricky times. Hell, he trusted Daniel with his life, so he was sure he could trust him with part of his sleeping space. He didn't know whether to mention the sticking together for warmth angle, but one look at the back of Daniel's ears, slowly turning pink from ill-concealed embarrassment was enough to convince him to keep quiet. On the whole, he thought that it was probably better to change the subject.

Jack pulled a bag of dried apricots out of the grocery sack in front of him.

"Why did I let you talk me into buying all of this shit again?"

Daniel turned and smiled a little.

"Apricots, dates, lentils... Daniel?"

"I know some pretty good recipes with apricots in. You said get stuff that keeps, right? Those things keep for years."

"Yeah, only 'cos no one's stupid enough to eat them." He smiled. "You can cook, then?"

"Of course I can cook." As long as you like North African food, he thought to himself. Jack looked like a meat and potatoes kind of guy, not a Ful Medames kind of guy.

"Oh, good. That means it's your turn." Jack finished putting the fresh food in the refrigerator. "Look... would you mind putting the rest of this stuff away? I'd better go and..." he'd found the traps. It would be best if he went and set them now while there was still plenty of daylight left.

"Oh, okay." Daniel looked less than thrilled at the prospect of really fresh meat.

"Thanks." Squeezing past him in the kitchen, he resisted the temptation to ruffle his hair. He'd go out and walk around a bit, give Daniel some time to unpack and get used to the situation, maybe make a little spot of his own among a place that had 'JACK' stamped upon it in big, uncompromising letters. He turned in the doorway.

"Look, make yourself at home. If you need space for your stuff, just move mine about a bit. It's okay, honestly. But the big red chair by the fire - that's mine."

The small smile was still on Daniel's face, among the uncertainty.

"Okay, thanks."

Jack turned and walked out. Yup. There was definitely a Daniel-shaped bombshell somewhere in his near future.

Chapter 2

Daniel looked down at the boxes and bags littering the kitchen floor. Well, he was here now, so he'd better make the best of it. Unless he wanted that long trek back down into town.

He put the rest of the food away, and decided that he'd give the place a bit of a spring clean before doing too much else. Jack had said that no-one had been up here all year, and knowing that he'd have to cook in this space later, probably with very little light... well, it stopped him from going into the bedroom yet, in any case.

Jack was right. The cabin was small. It was roughly twenty foot by twenty. The front half was all living area, the right-hand third of the back half was the open-plan kitchen. The rest was a partitioned off bedroom and shower area. A touch on the small side for one person, let alone two. The short wall in the living area was just wide enough for a fire place and two armchairs. To the left of the front door stood a sideboard and book case, and that was it for furniture apart from a coffee table and an old fashioned coat stand.

He sighed. Maybe he'd just spring-clean a little round here, too. He carried his books over to the bookcase and arranged them neatly next to the Grishams and Le Carre's. His journal went next to his chair by the fire. Later, after dinner, he'd sit down here with Jack, maybe crack open one of their precious bottles of wine, take one look into those trusting brown eyes and clam up totally.

Daniel felt he owed it to Jack to mention the whole sexual orientation thing, especially since he was going to be effectively, well... living with him, but at the same time thought it was an intensely private matter that he shouldn't have to tell anyone, because, quite frankly, it just wasn't relevant to anything he did in his everyday life, and it wasn't anyone's business. The problem was, quite early on, Daniel had started noticing Jack in what was to him a totally unnecessary manner. Jack was tall and wiry. Just like Alec. He was tanned, older, starting to go grey. Just like Alec. Jack had a wry sense of humour. Just like Alec. And he had an annoying habit of protecting him, and looking after him while at the same time giving him just enough space, just like Alec. And dammit all it was driving him nuts. Daniel sighed. Unfortunately, Jack pushed all of Daniel's buttons just so, a fact that was getting harder to ignore with each passing day. The only fly in the ointment being (and he tried not to be too insensitive here) the Sam issue, and the attendant implied heterosexuality.

He tidied and cleaned the living area, and eventually had to face facts. There were only so many times one could plump cushions. He would have to go into the bedroom. He grabbed up the rest of their things; four bags of clothes and miscellaneous toiletries, shoved the duster and spray polish under one arm and opened the door.

Cosy. Homely. That about sized it up. One, standard-size double bed, a two-foot clothes rail, a chest of drawers, a bedside cabinet. A fleeting thought ran barefoot through his brain. An 'I wonder which side of the bed Jack sleeps?' moment, that Daniel instantly beat out of his brain with a big stick. Daniel dumped their things on the patchwork quilt and took another look at the bed. The bed was wedged in the corner, so whoever was on the far side would have to clamber over the other occupant to get out. He reckoned that if he pulled the bed over slightly, he could make just about enough room to rectify that little problem. He caught himself sighing again.

It was two hours before Jack returned. In that time, Daniel had done about as much spring cleaning as anyone reasonably could, had packed away all of their gear, and their was an intriguing smell wafting up from the oven.

Jack closed the door behind him, stamped his feet on the mat and took off his boots. Daniel slumped in his chair by the fire, journal on his lap, mouth slightly open, eyes definitely shut, and out for the count. Quietly, Jack set about lighting the lamps. The fire looked like it was burning well, no need to throw another log on just yet and wake sleeping beauty. In the kitchen, he grabbed a beer, and a bottle of wine. He smiled to himself. Daniel had obviously started making himself at home. There were a couple of plates laid out ready, bread already sliced.

He took the drinks through to the lounge area and placed the wine on the table, then sank thankfully into his chair. It had been a good walk, getting reacquainted with the area. There was a bit of storm damage and a few fences were down, but nothing he couldn't fix given a few hours. With any luck they would have a couple of rabbits tomorrow, and he could dig out the rods and get some fish to tide them over for the following few days. What more could a guy want? Fresh air in his lungs, a meal waiting and the prospect of a few days rest. It was nice, sitting here. Enjoying a bit of quiet; watching Daniel. Sleeping beauty, eh? He chuckled to himself. Really. Well, there was no harm in admitting it, Daniel was a good-looking guy. Probably the sort that got into trouble over his looks on a regular basis, as their recent experiences had proved only too well.

When Daniel eventually surfaced, they had a shy, pleasant meal. Jack loved it; the company and the food, despite his sniping. He couldn't help it, he'd always been a sucker for a good meal. Anyone wanted to cook him something special, that person was going right to a place in his heart. Maybe it was just the beer talking, but he could damn well get used to this. 'We're an odd couple', he thought, before the back of his brain snuck up on him and slapped him upside the head. 'And Daniel is a guy,' it said. 'And you don't do guys, do you. Remember. You keep telling yourself that the idea, while it might be alright for some people... yeah, yeah, brain. Shuttup.'

Daniel put his plate down by the chair, noting Jack's pained expression.

"You okay, Jack?"

"Fine... fine. Just relaxing."

"Want some coffee?"

"Please."

Daniel did guys, though, didn't he. And Jack had had too much beer. He upended the bottle and eyed it like it was responsible for all of his problems. In the kitchen he caught a glimpse of Daniel tinkering around, trying to remember where the mugs were kept. He watched as a yawn caught up on Daniel and he stretched, revealing way too much in the taught abs department.

Daniel did guys. Jack thought about Daniel with guys. Jack had been thinking about it off and on for weeks. It'd given him something to do, other than rebuilding the planet. And hours of pleasure, truth be told, first guilt-free, and then eventually shameful as he had grown to know and like the man. And yet he had still invited Daniel up here.

Daniel did guys. What sort of guys, he wondered. Did guys go for other guys like themselves? Jack sort of had a stereotype in mind; some sort of femme guy with a muscle-bound guy. Knew deep-down that he hated stereotypes anyway. Maybe some other slightly geeky guy, quiet, studious, intense. No one's quite like this guy though, he thought.

"Look, I don't mean to be rude," Daniel interrupted," but I'm just going to take my coffee to bed, if you don't mind."

"Uh, okay." Jack stood, picked up the plates and carried them through.

"Do you have a... uh... side you prefer?"

Jack sat the plates down on the counter. "No, not really. The right, maybe."

"Okay." Daniel handed him a mug. "I'll... uh." He gestured vaguely between himself and the bedroom.

"I'll be in in a few minutes. Oh... and thanks for dinner. It was..."

"No, that's okay."

Jack touched him on the shoulder, an appreciative gesture as Daniel made his way past. They could manage this. They really could. It'd be fine.

Chapter 3

Jack woke in the blackness of the pre-dawn, feeling slightly disorientated. He'd been having a weird dream about a snake... a furry snake, that was trying to strangle him. It felt like it was still here. He shrugged, and Daniel's pony-tail moved from his cheek and caught in his mouth. Coughing slightly, he raised a hand and smoothed it out of the way.

Daniel lay on his side, facing away from him, curled as tight to the edge as he could manage without actually falling out of the bed. Unfortunately, Jack was used to having a large bed all to himself, and so he'd positioned himself starfish-like across most of it.

He'd have to have a word with Daniel about the hair thing later, though. That damn pony-tail had to be over a foot long.

It was just coming up on six a.m. A bit of a lie in, but not enough to waste the best part of the day. Jack eased himself out of the bed and went to take care of business in the bathroom.

He'd liked yesterday. Very much. And had been secretly pleased with himself for not freaking out at the sight of Daniel in the bed. Yeah, he'd had to share a tent with guys before, but that was different, really different. Two straight officers sharing a tent was way different to two guys, one of whom was gay and extremely hot sharing the same bed. And no, he had not just thought that.

Jack washed his hands and wondered whether it was too early to wake Daniel with coffee. He had an irresistible urge to go back to bed for a nap. Shouldn't he be starting repairs to the cabin? Chopping some firewood? Heading off to get some fish? Thinking about the proposal he'd received from Senator Woolsey before they set off? The proposal that Jack go to Delaware when he'd taken his few days. Delaware; the only city the Goa'uld had missed. Avoided, more like. Take up a position as special envoy or ambassador or whatever the hell it was, with all the associated paperwork, bickering and in-fighting that that involved. Gees, it was bad enough being a General.

The thought of all that politics really wore him out. Thinking that it'd go unnoticed and unmentioned, Jack did a one-eighty and headed back to the guilty pleasures of an extra hour in bed.

Jack lay there, thinking to himself. God, it was good to have someone else up here with him. Sam had refused the last couple of times, and he'd spent some miserable weeks by himself, pretending that he'd needed to do repairs. Daniel, bless him, hadn't complained once yet, and Jack knew from the two days they'd spend holed up in the broken-down tel'tac that Jackson knew how to whinge for his country. And several other countries Jack had been previously unaware of.

He put his hands behind his head and let his mind wander. He'd had a hard job letting Bra'tac go, in the end. Had briefly contemplated going with him. Jack considered himself a man of action. At heart, he would always be a soldier; and now he was forty, his career prospects were starting to narrow down. He didn't want to fly a desk, watch all the spotty-faced new recruits march past thinking they knew every damn thing. Bra'tac had been over a hundred. God, what a life he must have had.

Out of the corner of his eye he caught a movement. Daniel turned to face him, looking part sleepy, part startled.

"Morning."

"Morning. Been awake long?"

"No, not long."

"You're smiling." For some reason, Daniel looked confused, maybe even slightly concerned that Jack would be lying there smiling in his own bed.

"Ye-ah. I was just thinking about Bra'tac."

"Oh." Daniel turned to lay on his back, position unconsciously mirroring Jack's.

"Yeah. I wonder what he's up to now."

"Probably knocking a few dozen recruits into shape. Doing more of those damn callisthenics."

"Yeah, I guess. You know, I nearly went with him."

"Now, why does that not surprise me?" Daniel smiled at him, then turned and fumbled on the floor for his glasses.

"They've offered me a new position here, you know."

"Oh?"

"Special envoy or something."

"Oh. What you gonna do?"

"Dunno."

"They've offered me some sort of administrative position in whatever passes for the new Stargate Command."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"What you gonna do?"

"I dunno either."

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"How long we planning to stay up here, Jack?"

"Oh, two weeks, maybe. We both need time to sort a few things out, right?"

"Mmm. Right."

"Why d'you ask?"

"Oh, nothing." Daniel eyed him suspiciously, effortlessly changing the subject mid-yawn. "Thought you'd be out by now, you know, doing manly pursuits."

Jack laughed, and narrowly stopped himself from saying 'thought I could do manly pursuits just as easily from in here'. Damn. And he thought it was Daniel that had the problem.

Chapter 4

He hated to admit it, but he was actually starting to enjoy himself. The second night hadn't been so bad. They'd kept the atmosphere light all day, and had even gone to bed at the same time, changing with their backs to each other. The friendship thing was really working. When they woke this morning, Jack had complained about Daniel's hair again, mumbled something about 'hairy snakes', and threatened to cut his pony-tail off while he slept. Daniel had come back with the old line about his hair being the source of all his strength, and said that if Jack cut it off, he wouldn't be able to get out of bed. Made Jack laugh, in any case.

Daniel thought about the job opportunity he'd been offered the week before. General O'Leary had read Jack's report on his last mission, and knew about the Daniel Jackson in the alternate reality. Some discussions had obviously taken place up at a high level, and it had been suggested to Daniel that, after the gate was unburied, Daniel might want to use his linguistic skills to head up the administrative side of the operation. It was an intriguing offer, and one that warranted careful consideration. All he knew was that he had nothing better to do; no ties, no family, no job, nowhere to live and no money.

He busied himself turning over the small, overgrown vegetable patch out back of the cabin. At some point, someone must have been up here every couple of weeks, but that looked like it had been years ago. Well, he might not be any good at catching rabbits, or not know anything about fishing, but digging was something he could do very well. And he'd got more than a passing acquaintance with cutting back vegetation, too. They might only be here a couple of weeks, but he felt the need to be useful. Everyone had to grow their own food now, didn't they? Or at least try to make a stab at it. He wasn't sure what he could plant at this time of year, but tidying had to be a good thing, surely.

At the end of the patch stood a lone apple tree, its branches now only six foot or so from the forest that was starting to encroach on every side. There were plenty of rotten windfalls, but a few tenacious apples still clung to the branches. Maybe they'd make a good pie, if he could remember how to make pastry.

Daniel downed his fork, grabbed a spare grocery sack and headed over to the tree. Most of the fruit was out of reach, so he climbed up into the fork in the trunk. He'd managed to nab about half a dozen when he heard the sound of several small engines coming up the track.

He debated going to get Jack; he wasn't far away, down by the lake trying to catch some fish while making an odd-shaped trap to catch eels when he was fairly sure there weren't any. No, whatever it was, Daniel could handle it. He swung himself out of the tree and sauntered off down the road.

As he rounded a corner, three dirt bikes hove into view. They cut their engines as they surrounded him. Daniel smiled, waved, and waited for them to take their helmets off. Instead, he heard the click of a safety catch behind his left ear and froze. The other two bikes tore off up to the cabin.

He wanted to turn his head, but wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do.

"Please," he managed, "what do you want? We don't have much, but tell me what you want..."

All he could hear were the sounds of the person behind him breathing, the soft rustle as he adjusted his position on his seat and the crackle of the tire as the bike moved slightly on the gravel. Seconds later, he heard the whine of the two other bikes as they made their way back down the hill.

"Come on, quick, there's another guy up there," one of them yelled, and behind him the third bike was kicked once more into life. It was a difficult manoeuvre, holding the clutch in, holding the brake and starting the engine. Whoever it was was having a job holding onto the gun at the same time.

Daniel heard the fumble, the mumbled 'shit!', and the shot ring out in the air. He fell forward as the bike sped off.

Chapter 5

"Daniel! Wake up! Daniel! Dammit." Daniel opened his eyes, feeling a sharp sting of pain and wave of nausea roll over him.

"Damn punks. Fuck. Got you in the leg. Just a minute." Jack pulled off his belt and strapped it around Daniel's leg, just below the knee.

"I don't know. I travel half-way across the galaxy and one of the biggest damn threats comes from a couple of punks out to steal my gear."

"Three... three of them."

"Yeah, okay."

Daniel noticed Jack's own gun, holstered safely, and wondered briefly why Jack had chosen to take it fishing with him. Jack got Daniel into a seated position, managed to angle his head under one arm, and dragged him to his feet.

"Don't put any weight on it. Come on. Not far."

Together, they made it back to the cabin, Daniel biting his lip against the pain. Actually, he was surprised that it didn't hurt a hell of a lot more. It bled profusely, even with the tourniquet.

"Okay... sit down. Let me take a look at it. See if we're going to have to take you into town."

Jack took out his knife and sliced up Daniel's pants leg.

"Damn, they were my best pair."

Jack looked up into Daniel's eyes and nodded. "Well I guess I'll just have to treat you to that tux when we get back, won't I?"

He disappeared off into the kitchen and came back with the first aid kit.

"Right. I'll get you cleaned up, dress the wound."

"Jack."

"Hmm?" Jack busied himself opening packets, finding the antiseptic.

"I look ridiculous in a tux."

Okay, this was good. Keep Daniel awake, alert, but keep his mind off of his leg. This game he could play.

"Okay. So what would you like?"

Daniel struggled to think of something off the wall to keep them both amused.

"How about some of those dress whites? They'd look pretty good."

Dammit, they would too, thought Jack, his fingers nearly dropping the swab.

"Well, I don't know many guys in the Navy, but I'll have to see what I can do." He managed a carefree little laugh, keeping it light, not making eye contact. But gods, there was an image to conjure with.

He'd got a handle on the wound now. They'd only just clipped him, but it was a bit of a mess in any case.

"Okay. It's not too bad. But we need to get you to a doc to get it stitched, okay?"

"Okay, Jack."

"Come on, let's get you to the truck. Won't take long." He grabbed the bottle of pain killers, and thrust them in Daniel's direction. "I'll just get my keys."

In the truck, Daniel slid his face down the window.

"Jack."

"Mmm?" They still had eight miles to go, and at some point a stream had burst its banks, making the road surface treacherous.

"Don't let me get blood poisoning, Jack."

"What sort of talk is that? You're not going to get blood poisoning." Again, Jack was pleased that he'd got Daniel talking, even if he didn't exactly approve of the subject matter.

"I had a friend... died of blood poisoning." Daniel drew his hand down the glass, looking forlorn.

"Wanna... wanna tell me about him?"

Daniel rolled his head, looked at Jack and thought, 'why not'. If he died it wouldn't matter, after all.

"His name was Alec. We worked together on my last dig in Egypt."

"Oh, right."

Daniel winced as Jack pulled the truck round a tight bend.

"Sorry."

"S'okay. We were never quite sure how he got it, you know?"

Jack pondered this, knew it was possible. "When was this?"

"He died two months before the Goa'uld showed up." Daniel turned to face the window again. Very quietly he murmured, "We only had four months."

Jack's heart leapt to his throat. Oh, Daniel. You admitted it. You told me. Why couldn't you have told me last night, when we could sit and talk about this properly? He knew he had to be careful his response wasn't misconstrued. He gripped the steering wheel thoughtfully.

"God, Daniel. I'm sorry to hear that."

"Mmm."

"Four months... that's hardly any time at all." He watched Daniel's face as the tears started to roll.

Chapter 6

The wound really wasn't that bad, just ragged and messy. They waited for what seemed like hours in the tiny surgery, but the patch up job didn't take much more than five minutes. Jack sat with him the whole time, treacherously close; refused to leave until Daniel practically begged him to give him a moment alone with the Doctor.

Truth be told, there were a few things that had been worrying Daniel since his encounter with Klorel. Things he needed to sort out before he could truly put the incident to rest and get on with his life. The doctor looked at him askance at his request for the tests, but took his details, blood and swabs just the same, and told him that the results would be another two weeks. Daniel hoped he'd get them before they headed back.

Back in the waiting room, Daniel took the proffered walking stick. He thought it was a bit of overkill, but one look at Jack scowling at the nurse convinced him that it was the safest option. He smiled wanly up at him, currently beating away old ladies in an attempt to make it to Daniel's side.

"Jack, I need you again. I'd pay, but I seem to have left my wallet somewhere in the back of a Goa'uld mother ship." He hoped his smile would work.

Daniel perched himself along the back seat of the truck for the ride back as his leg started to feel tight and throb, and was silent as Jack helped him into the cabin. He felt like a total waste of space as Jack fussed about getting him comfortable, then set off out the back to chop some wood.

He nestled into the armchair and tried to read through his job offer, then found a pen and paper to try to go through some of the logistics of what they were saying. Of all the languages he spoke, Daniel guessed he was least fluent in legalese, and what with the headache and nagging pain in his calf, after an hour or so he'd had about enough. He guessed that about now, Jack could probably use a drink; he certainly could, and so levered himself up out of his chair to go and make some coffee.

It took him a couple of minutes to get across the room, even with the stick. Even with the lack of furniture it seemed like an obstacle course. Everything seemed to brush against his wound, and the longer he stood, the more it hurt. Making the coffee was harder, but he decided that if he called Jack from the back door, Jack wouldn't mind stepping in to collect his cup. It would save him from having to get over the step. The back door led out from the kitchen onto a veranda. Coffee made, Daniel opened the door, a prelude to shouting.

It had got progressively colder as the day had worn on, and as he took a deep breath, his words caught in his throat. Pools of mist were starting to form here and there. At the other side of the vegetable patch, breath coming in short bursts of steam, was Jack. He gleamed in the fading light, as, stripped down to a sweat-soaked white t-shirt, he sliced effortlessly though another log, shoulder muscles bunching and relaxing under the strain of wielding the axe.

Jack flicked his hair to get the sweat from his eyes, rubbed at his face. Sensing an audience, he turned to face the cabin. He smiled at Daniel, a big, warm friendly grin, and Daniel just lolled open-mouthed.

"Daniel? You," he pointed towards Daniel's leg," you shouldn't be up. What can I do for you?"

Daniel stared. Jack was, well, the truth of the matter was Jack was a bit grubby, dirt and bits of bark from the logs sticking to his arms and the fabric tight over his chest, streaks down his belly where the sweat had mingled with the grime forming an inexorable trail down to the top of his pants. And Jack was totally bloody magnificent. Daniel shook himself and remembered why he was out here.

"I, er, I made you some coffee," he stammered.

"Thanks! I could use it. I'll be in in a few minutes. Nearly finished here."

Really, it was all he could do to bring himself to his senses, nod in Jack's general direction and head back into the cabin.

Jack furrowed his brow in thought, wiped some of the rapidly cooling sweat off on his shirt and quickly chopped the last two logs. Okay, so there was even more to this than he previously thought. On top of everything else, it was starting to look very much like Daniel had a thing going here. For Jack? How come? Jack was confused, and surprised for more than one reason. He'd credited Daniel with more taste than that for a start, and definitely much better sense. Dammit, he really did have a lot of thinking to do, and it was starting to look like he couldn't put it off much longer.

He pulled his shirt back on and headed back to the cabin. Daniel was nowhere to be seen. Hiding out in the bedroom, Jack figured. Man, but this was damn fine coffee. Daniel had made him choose some fairly expensive stuff which Jack had immediately resented, but he was starting to see Daniel's point. He downed it in a few gulps and poured himself out another mug.

Jack needed to get washed up, which unfortunately meant intruding on Daniel. Oh, well. Better now than never. He strode into the bedroom, caught sight of the man sitting huddled on the bed, knew a diversion was in order.

"Daniel?" Jack sat down next to him. "I was having a word with some of the people in the surgery. It seems like there's a couple of gangs doing the rounds at the moment. They're just out for anything they can sell."

Daniel sat, quiet and still, nodded slightly.

"Apparently, one of them accidentally killed an old man up the valley a-ways a couple of weeks ago. You... you weren't to know."

"I am so stupid."

"No. God, no you're not. You've got this great gift."

"What?" He chuckled, humourlessly. "For being an idiot?"

"For seeing the best in people." And something in me, too, though I'm having a bit of trouble with that, he thought. "I like it." He reached up and smoothed Daniel's hair, pulled a stray strand out of his eyes. "Look, er, I hate to say it, but I need to get washed up and changed."

"I'll give you some space."

"That's not what I meant - I just wanted to give you some warning."

"Thanks. Actually, I'm not sure if I can move any more anyway. I'm kinda stuck."

"Stiff?"

"All over."

"You er..." Jack was reluctant to ask, but had to. "You want a massage or anything?"

"No!" Emphatic? What, him? "No... that's alright, thanks."

"Okay... well, if you're sure." He reached out for a friendly pat, then thought better of it. "I'll, er... grab my shower. You change your mind, just holler." Jack slid off the bed and hot-foot it to the shower room.

Well, this was new. Was Jack flirting with him? Chances were, Jack was just being kind taking his mind off of Daniel's blatant reaction, and trying to make him forget that he'd been crippled by three kids out to swipe electrical goods. Daniel didn't even consider blaming any of the stiffness on the four or five hours of digging he'd put in earlier.

In the shower, Jack practically hit himself. What the devil did he think he was doing? He didn't want Daniel getting the wrong idea. He wasn't interested in Daniel that way. As he soaped himself and looked down at his body, the truth of the matter became slightly more difficult to hide from. On some level at least, it was becoming glaringly apparent that at least part of his body was extremely interested in Daniel that way. Jack groaned. Life, he decided, was a bitch. Just when he thought he'd dealt with enough shit, fate had to go and throw another spanner in the works. So, he'd started fancying guys. One guy, he mentally corrected himself. Just the one guy. That's hardly a crime, right? Not like I intend to ever do anything about it. Right.

Jack looked down at his rather blatant erection, and smiled wryly to himself. He didn't want to boast, but he had a fair idea of just how powerful his libido could be, and this was going to be a bit of a problem. The last thing he wanted was to stroll back out into the bedroom like this. He took the matter in hand.

Chapter 7

"Today, I am going to cut your hair," announced Jack, as he wandered into the bedroom clutching two mugs of coffee.

"Blehh," came the voice from under the covers. Jack put down the coffee and threw open the curtains. The morning sunlight lanced icily into the room. Daniel grabbed for the pillow and rammed it over his head.

"Daniel..." Jack wafted the mug in his direction. "Columbian Supremo... freshly ground."

Jack waited a minute as a fuzzy pyjama-clad form emerged, and painfully pulled itself into a sitting position. Daniel's arms came out, mummy-like, to grab for the mug.

"You are hideously awake."

"Yup. Been up two hours. We have rabbits, fish, lots of coffee, and just for you, a fire going."

"Oh, Ambassador. With these treats you are spoiling us." Mumbled Daniel from half-way down his mug, in what Jack vaguely recognised as some really naff advertising campaign he'd heard a few years back. Jack chuckled to himself. This was fun, Daniel-baiting. He liked the snarky early-morning one-liners. He liked that the guy could run rings round him even when he was still technically asleep. Refreshing, that was what it was.

"More," Daniel managed, thrusting the mug back in Jack's direction.

"Eye-eye mon capitain," Jack threw Daniel a mock salute, before a mental image of Daniel in dress whites stopped him in his tracks. He practically sprinted to the kitchen.

Daniel was considerably more social after his second cup, practically human after his third. Jack was starting to hope that Daniel would take that job offer, if only to help pay for all the caffeine that he was consuming.

"I've got a favour to ask," Daniel finally managed, as he drained his fourth helping, which was little more than the dregs from the bottom of the pot, the consistency of molasses.

"Shoot," whoooops, thought Jack, wrong choice of words there.

Daniel squinted at him for a moment and let it pass.

"I need to take a shower."

"Okay. So?"

"Its not that... I don't need your help or anything, it's just, it'd be easier if someone else were to redress the wound afterwards."

"Okay. I can do that. But will you do me a favour?"

"Depends."

"Will you let me cut that damn hair of yours?"

They had a bit of an argument about it, again. Jack thought it was dangerous, liable to get caught in something. Daniel thought he might need it to fend the chill off. Daniel knew Jack was right, but hell, it was his hair.

He could hear Jack clanking around outside as he stripped in the confines of the shower room. He had to throw the pyjamas back into the bedroom as there was nowhere in here far enough away from the shower spray. When you got wet, everything got wet. Thankfully, it didn't take too long for the heat to come through. When he eventually emerged from the shower, towel around waist and supporting himself on his stick, just as a precaution you understand, what with the slippery floor and all, Jack was waiting for him, cheesy grin on his face and bandage in his hand.

Daniel abstractly noticed the way the room had been tidied AND his pyjamas neatly folded AND his fresh clothes got out ready as Jack dressed his leg. Jack patted his knee.

"All done. Come on, outside."

"Like this? I'll freeze to death. Just give me a few moments. Why outside, anyway?"

"The light's better."

"Okay. Just let me get dressed."

Jack stayed where he was, absent-mindedly cleaning his fingernails.

"Alone, please?"

"Oh. Uh, sure."

Daniel slipped into his new cable-knit jumper and carefully pulled on his last remaining pair of jeans.

"Ready?" Jack poked his head back around the door, and grabbed for Daniel.

Somehow, Jack was slightly impatient, or expecting Daniel to move faster. His hand slipped as he dragged Daniel to the door, leaving a very bemused Daniel with his hand being held like an errant schoolboy. Jack didn't seem to mind. Now he'd won his argument it all seemed like a fantastic game to him.

He chuckled as he steered Daniel around the yard. Daniel caught sight of where he was headed; a floral cushion perched precariously on the log.

"The chopping block, Jack?"

"Can you think of anywhere better? Now, sit."

They'd left his stick inside, but what with the painkillers and Jack being so, well, nice, it didn't seem to hurt half so bad today. Jack positioned Daniel on the log. Daniel decided to let him have his fun. He closed his eyes as Jack moved around behind him and angled his head, calloused fingers pulling the still-wet hair out from under the sweater and away from his face.

It was nice, so nice, sitting here. There was a slight breeze, a chill in the air, but inside he felt a glow, which had little to do with the warmth of the shower. Behind him, Jack seemed to come to his senses. Daniel opened his eyes with a start. Jack had stopped... because Jack... Jack had been running his fingers through his hair.

Jack coughed.

"You, er... you don't have to stop."

Was Jack going to feign ignorance here? Crack wise? Deny ever having touched him? Jack kept silent. Still and silent for seconds, processing. Daniel kept facing front, breath baited. He felt Jack move forward and reach for the scissors with one hand. His left hand once again stroked his hair, tucked a wayward strand behind his left ear. In a breathy whisper, he just caught Jack's words.

"Sorry... um... still has to be cut, though."

Jack worked slowly. He tied the ponytail one final time, and asked, "Okay?" before Daniel felt the scissors working between the elastic band and the nape of his neck. He heard a definite 'snick', as the pressure released and the ponytail came free. Jack picked it up and handed it over to Daniel.

"Is that it?"

"No. Let me make a proper job of it, please?"

Daniel caught part of Jack's expression out of the corner of his eye, as Jack swallowed hard and absently stroked his shoulder. He nodded slightly, turning back to face the front.

Jack's hands were on his head again, moving it slightly, assessing it as if it were a puzzle. And he kept stroking, kept running his fingers through Daniel's hair, in a delicate, tingling massage. It was one of the most erotic things Daniel had ever experienced. He closed his eyes again and decided to go with the flow.

Jack took his time, working out how layer it as best he could. Partway through he switched to the smaller scissors that were part of his pocket knife. Much, much better. He loved the guy, didn't want him running round looking like an idiot.

He loved the guy.

As a brother.

No.

As a friend.

Yes, and more.

Damn, O'Neill. Shouldn't have let that guard down.

Daniel opened his eyes, and turned to face Jack. A Jack who was now gazing absently into the middle distance with a glazed expression on his face.

He'd been meaning to ask if Jack had finished. All he actually said was "Jack", as Jack's fingers strayed absently down once more and accidentally touched Daniel on the lips.

Jack's gaze lowered. He looked at him. Really looked hard at him, into him.

Daniel's lips closed delicately on the fingertips in a fragile semblance of a kiss, and Jack saw the invitation in the clear blue eyes.

"Yes," he said.

And then... neither of them were sure how it happened. Daniel had found himself standing, somewhat shakily, in the circle of Jack's arms, and Jack's hands still ran tenderly through his hair and over his face. Daniel steadied himself, placing his hands on Jack's shoulders, and the distance between them vanished.

Their lips touched.

Daniel pulled back slightly, looking up at Jack, while at the same time making the contact between them even closer, wrapping his fingers tightly in Jack's shirt.

Jack looked... worried, then confused, then he blinked, shook his head slightly, and brought their lips together again in another kiss.

Chapter 8

It was different, that night. A different kind of uncertainty; an uneasiness as they changed for bed.

"I'll sleep by the fire if you want."

"Jack," Daniel sighed, "in your own cabin? Don't be an ass. We managed okay before."

"That was before."

"Yeah."

With the one gas lamp turned down low, they climbed under the covers, and lay, for the first time, facing each other.

Jack fumbled nervously with the edge of the comforter.

"I meant what I said out there, you know."

"I know. It's okay." Daniel reached out and touched Jack on the shoulder. "There's no rush."

"So."

"So?"

"Do I... do I get a goodnight kiss?"

"Sure. Sure you do, Jack."

Daniel leant in and kissed Jack tenderly on the lips. It was warm, sweet. Jack closed his eyes and imagined he could feel Daniel's heart beating. When they drew apart, Daniel put an arm around Jack's waist.

Daniel thought that Jack was looking way too serious.

"You don't want me to read you a bed time story as well, do you?"

Jack chuckled. "I don't think so, Daniel. I've got a fair idea about the sort of books you read, and while I'm sure they'd send me to sleep real fast..."

"Point taken."

Jack watched Daniel as his tongue chased across his lower lip, and suddenly it was all that he could think about. He watched Daniel's mouth moving closer without knowing which one of them was actually moving. When their lips touched again, he licked Daniel's lower lip himself, felt it still warm and damp.

Daniel opened his mouth for him; not a seconds' pause and he was falling inside, tongues meeting and curling round each other. Daniel tasted of apple pie, the special pie he'd made for supper, a hint of cinnamon and a reminder of the summer. Daniel smelt of the log fire, of coffee and earth and heat. Jack never wanted to leave.

Daniel drew Jack towards him, wrapped his arms around him. Jack's weight was a comfort, his spare frame a sharp reality through the shirt and shorts he wore.

When Jack broke the kiss, he realised that he was lying on Daniel.

"Um."

"S'okay."

Daniel drew a reassuring hand down Jack's arm.

"No." Jack shook his head. "No it's not. Sorry. Got a bit carried away there."

Daniel actually laughed. "It's okay, Jack."

Jack snuffled and moved off, rolling to lie on his side, facing Daniel again.

"Bit fast... your leg..." Jack floundered in his half-assed apology.

"Okay." If time was what Jack wanted, Daniel figured, he'd let Jack have as long as he liked. This, just lying here together, was wonderful. And the kiss...

Daniel looked at a rather shame-faced Jack, and stroked his hair. Which made him think of earlier again.

"I never did thank you for cutting my hair."

"I think you just did."

"It looks good. I like it."

Jack reached out and tucked Daniel's hair behind his ear for him.

"It's still a bit long."

"That's okay. Just so long as you don't stop doing that."

"Deal." Jack smiled again, a content smile, back on safe ground.

"So."

"So?"

"Goodnight, Jack."

"Goodnight, Daniel. Don't let the bedbugs bite."

He kissed Daniel on the cheek and rolled over to turn off the lamp.

Chapter 9

They went slow. God, how slowly they went. Once Jack had made up his mind, he wanted everything. He tried to hold back, god, it was all freaking him out, but once Daniel got him going he was like some sort of maniac. Daniel sensed it; Jack figured he had a few issues of his own. He'd never asked about what had happened on the Goa'uld mother ship, and he wasn't sure he really wanted to know. Whatever, it was driving Jack crazy with need. Crazy in a good way, but crazy nonetheless.

The following Tuesday they drove back down into town. Jack had some calls to make, there were supplies to get, and Daniel had thought that now was as good a time as any to get his leg checked over again. It was on the mend, just the odd ache when he overdid it; the stick really just an occasional help and more likely to get used for knocking the remaining few apples out of the tree.

The truck ground to a halt just outside of town.

"What the hell?" Jack moaned, and stuck his head out of the window to get a better view.

Ahead of them, a group of people in white robes milled around in loose formation, swaying from side to side as they made their steady progression down the main street. At the front of the group, someone held a placard. A few others held drums, cymbals.

Jack rode the truck up onto the kerb.

"Get a look at the sign."

Daniel swivelled in his seat to get a better view.

"The Church of the Third Millennium."

"Oh, Great. Fucking wonderful."

Jack drew up into the parking lot of the store, hopped out and round to Daniel's door to give him a hand. By the time he'd got there, Daniel was already on his feet.

"Much better," Jack encouraged.

"I'll meet you back here," Daniel said, as he made his way across the road to the surgery.

Jack shopped quickly and methodically. There wasn't exactly much choice and supplies were starting to run low everywhere. He managed to snag the last pair of jeans for Daniel, ignoring the look he received from an irate horse-faced woman eagerly reaching out for them. Prices were skyrocketing. He wasn't even sure he'd be able to buy enough gas to get them back into town next time.

"Who are these 'Church of the Third Millennium' assholes?" he politely asked the bored looking assistant as he paid for his goods.

"You don't know about them?" she enthused, and handed him a pamphlet. Jack watched as her eyes started to glaze over. "They teach that the signs from the heavens reveal a great truth," she recited, obviously something she'd learnt by rote and had been regaling every poor sap that walked into the store with. "Messengers from the sky predict the end of the world, judgement day. Only the worthy will be asked to join our benefactors. Only the pure of heart will be chosen!"

"Yadda," he said, cutting her off with a wave and storming out. "Yeah, whatever... nutcase."

"Yeah, well..." she snapped back. "Tell you BOYfriend I said hi."

Jack stopped momentarily in his tracks, then shrugged. He wasn't quite happy with the definition just yet, appropriate or not. But in anyone's book, ANYONE'S book, he'd rather have a boyfriend than a religious mania, thank you so very much. And if that's what Daniel was, well, Jack felt bloody lucky.

Jesus, but it was a mixed-up world. The fact of the matter was that although the world knew that they'd been invaded by aliens, the Stargate was still a secret. Everyone knew about the disaster, but no one knew why it had happened. The rumours and politics all formed a fragile house of cards and Jack had no idea what was going to happen next.

He stashed the groceries and ambled off to use the pay phone. He needed to speak to Senator Woolsey. He'd had a long, hard think about the envoy job, and whichever way he cut it, it still looked like a demotion, a side-step in the worst way. If there was a chance in hell that he'd be able to go back to the Stargate program, in whatever capacity, tea boy, WHATEVER, he'd take it. It felt right. It was where he belonged.

In the surgery, Daniel was poked and prodded, and dispatched to the outside world with the minimum of fuss. And no, they didn't have his results in. One more week, the nurse told him, emphatically. Daniel was close to pleading when he saw the expression on her face. They had much more important things to worry about than his sex life, thank you so very much. Right. No matter how much he wanted Jack, begging a nurse for his test results wasn't going to do any damn good.

Jack lolled against the side of the truck as Daniel hobbled back.

"Okay?"

"Yeah. Hey. Guess what?"

"Jack?"

"The coffee shop is still open. Wanna pop in?"

Daniel beamed. "It's a date!"

It was, too. The world goes kaboom, Jack and Daniel say, hi, let's have a coffee.

Jack thought 'screw it', and took Daniel's elbow to guide him down the street. Daniel wasn't protesting. He hadn't stopped beaming yet.

In Maggie's Kitchen, they sat, knees touching, catching up with all the gossip at a very small, very gingham table.

"You'd think that this stuff would have been right up at the top of the list of stuff the Goa'uld destroyed," Jack whinged, disgustedly fingering the plastic-coated table cloth.

"Mmm," mumbled Daniel, distractedly, from inside his mug.

They caught up on news. And then they just seemed to sit. Jack felt increasingly sappy, and then increasingly horny, jiggling his knee. Daniel smiled wistfully.

"Me too."

"I need..." Jack wasn't quite sure what he needed, just knew he needed a heck of a lot of it.

"Let's go home."

Jack really liked the sound of that. Them. Home. Together.

They paid up and headed back. And then the flirting started up all over again. Boy, but Daniel could flirt. He could flirt totally obliviously while making coffee. He could flirt deliberately in front of the log fire. And he could be amazingly wanton poking his head round the bathroom door.

Jack just sat there, enjoying the view. He felt a warm tingling, somewhere deep in his stomach. Anticipation. Maybe now, he thought. Maybe this is it.

And without a warning, the tingling turned into giddiness, turned into a beam of light, and they were both transported out of the cabin to the waiting space ship.

Chapter 10

"Shit!" shouted Jack, as he stood in the beam of light, an equally disoriented Daniel by his side.

"Shit!"

"You are General Jack O'Neill?"

"Shit!"

"Yes," said Daniel, clearing the matter up, and regaining his composure. "He is."

"And you are?"

"Doctor Daniel Jackson. Sir."

Daniel couldn't see where the voice was coming from, but thought it would be best if he was polite. Somewhere at the back of the room he heard muttering, whispering.

The beam of light vanished, and the ambient light increased. A small, grey figure with huge black eyes stepped forward.

"I am Thor."

"Shit!" said Jack, mind still on a little light smooching, a quick game of feel up the archaeologist. If he'd been keeping a diary, '18:00: Get abducted by aliens' would not have been in it.

"Thor?"

Thor looked at Jack quizzically, then turned to Daniel, who was obviously the brains of the outfit.

"I am supreme commander of the Asgard fleet."

"As in Norse mythology Thor? Um... pleased to meet you." Daniel held out a hand, then withdrew it, instantly having about a million questions fighting to get out, but he wasn't sure how to even start putting them to the strange grey alien, and if doing so would cause offence. Thor looked harmless, however...

"Yes. We understand that you were instrumental in the removal of the Goa'uld from your world?"

"Yes. Yes, that was us, amongst others."

"We have brought you here to tell you that in attacking your world, the Goa'uld have contravened the protected planets treaty..."

"Protected planets treaty?"

"We have what now?"

Thor looked slowly at Daniel, big black eyes reflecting his curious expression right back at him.

"Yes. The Goa'uld and the Asgard have a treaty which prevents the Goa'uld from attacking your world. In attacking your world, the Goa'uld have enabled us to intervene in the rebuilding of your planet."

"Cool," said Jack, only making slightly more sense than before.

"Thank you."

"We require that you, Doctor Daniel Jackson, and you, General Jack O'Neill, assume control over your Stargate and the effort to reclaim it. As recognised individuals in the fight against the Goa'uld, the Asgard believe that your assistance will lend the most authority, and be the most appropriate."

"Um... thank you."

"Um... Thor?"

"Yes, General?"

"I'm afraid that it just doesn't work like that. I can't just waltz into the White House..." or what passes for the White House at the moment, thought Jack, remembering that the White House was currently a rather grey pile of rubble, "and say 'hey, Thor's letting me take over, guys'."

Daniel inwardly cringed. There were some days when he simply could not see how Jack had ever become a General.

"Does not the position of General carry some weight on your world, O'Neill?"

"Well, sure."

"Then we must convince them. We have already begun steps to effect this," Daniel wasn't sure, but guessed Thor was feeling a little agitated. "We require only the presence of one other before we can act."

Another figure emerged out of the darkness.

"One other?"

Daniel's question remained unanswered.

"Heimdall will show you to your quarters. You will find sustenance there."

"Thank you."

"What? That's it? You're keeping us here?"

Daniel elbowed Jack into silence.

"The measure is purely temporary, O'Neill. The matter is one of supreme urgency that we must rectify with your government."

"Fine. Swell. Whatever."

"Jaack," Daniel whispered between gritted teeth.

"It's just... you know." Jack gestured between the two of them, shrugged.

Daniel smiled at him and patted him on the shoulder. "Later."

Jack's eyebrows practically shot through the roof.

They followed Heimdall down curiously organic corridors. As soon as they were out of earshot of Thor, Heimdall began to question them on their lives, the death of Apophis and hundreds of other things that seemed to pop into his mind.

"These are your quarters," he gestured gracefully several minutes later, as he pressed a panel, and the T-shaped door slid up into the wall.

Daniel and Jack stepped in, closely followed by Heimdall.

The room was large, white and spacious. There were two low, white sleeping platforms, and a low white table containing a jug of clear liquid and some curiously-coloured geometrically shaped objects.

"Food, water," gestured Heimdall. "You will find sanitary facilities through the door at the end. If you require anything further, use this."

He handed Daniel a translucent oval object which fit neatly in the palm of his hand.

"How?"

"Place it here, and speak." Heimdall indicated a panel on the table.

"Okay."

"I must leave you now, only..."

"Yes?"

"If I may be permitted to spend some time with you later? There are many things I wish to discuss."

"Of course."

Jack snorted.

"Then I will depart."

"Thank you for everything."

Jack suppressed another snort as he toed off his boots and collapsed back onto the bed.

Heimdall gave Jack exactly the same look that Thor had given him when he saw him first, turned on his heels and left, the door closing behind him.

"Well, it's a bit larger than the cabin, anyway."

Jack looked affronted. "Hey, that's my cabin. I like that cabin."

"So do I," Daniel smiled, already miles away and touching everything in sight.

Jack spread-eagled himself on the bed, scrunching his hands into the cover.

"How long do you reckon before we get summoned, or that guy comes back?"

"A little while, I guess. It seems like they are at least expecting us to eat before we're needed again."

"So..."

"So?"

"So how about you join me over here for a bit?"

"Jack!"

"Yes, Daniel?"

"Are you suggesting that we make out on... an alien space ship?"

"Sure. Why not. I mean, we didn't get a chance last time. The opportunity might never come up again."

"Some how," sighed Daniel, "I have a sneaking suspicion that the longer I hang out with you, the more chances I have of being zapped, abducted, shot at or..."

"Having some weird alien probe inserted..."

"Quite possibly."

"What can I say. I lead a fun-filled life. So get over here."

Daniel made a big show of being reluctant, which left him mere seconds later leaning over Jack.

"I wonder if they have any pillows." He rummaged around at the top of the bed, and pulled a flat, almost hard rectangle out from under the cover. "It would appear that they have made some sort of compromise for our physiology."

"If you say so." Jack eyed it up, and thought it looked more like a biscuit than a pillow.

Daniel pushed himself back up to standing, then swatted Jack across the head with it.

Jack rolled, but Daniel jumped out of the way.

"Right. Of course, you realise this means war." Jack fumbled around at the top of the bed, retrieving another pillow. Kneeling on the bed, he swished the pillow in Daniel's direction but Daniel was still out of reach. Jack jumped off the bed, and seconds later they were chasing each other around the room, occasionally biffing each other.

Together, they collapsed panting onto the bed, still holding on to their pillows.

"That Thor guy?"

"Mmm?" Daniel moved his head to get a better look at Jack.

"He reckons we're the best shot for humanity, right?"

"Yup."

"We're doomed."

Chapter 11

The liquid was indeed water. The food was totally inedible. Daniel went to call Heimdall while Jack went off to investigate the bathroom.

A light tinkling bell indicated that there was someone at the door the second Jack returned. Daniel glanced at Jack's rather bemused expression before deciding whatever it was would have to wait.

"Come in!" yelled Daniel, not knowing whether or not anyone could hear him.

Heimdall sauntered in, stopping several feet inside the door, which closed automatically behind him.

"General O'Neill. Doctor Daniel Jackson."

"Er... Jack and Daniel, please," indicated Daniel.

Heimdall sat on the edge of the bed, curiously looking at its unmade state.

"It seems that we will not be able to contact your government tonight," he apologised. Jack thought he could hear the unsaid words 'such as it is'.

"Oh?"

"We are still awaiting the arrival of Hel. It appears that she has been detained on her journey from Niflheim."

"Oh, really?" Daniel wished he could come up with something slightly more intelligent to say, while racking his brains to associate a myth or two with the name.

"Yes. The Asgard are currently at war with more than the Goa'uld. Niflheim is one of our outlying worlds and has recently become subject to attacks from the Replicators... however... we should be able to commence as planned tomorrow."

"Er... Hel? Replicators?"

Heimdall dismissed Daniel with a wave of his hand. "I am sure that Thor will be only too pleased to answer any of your questions when he deems it appropriate."

"Yeah, right."

Daniel brindled at this a fraction, but let it pass.

"So what is this matter for which you summoned me?"

"Er... it's the food."

"Yes?"

"We... can't eat it. It is..."

"It stinks!"

"...unacceptable to our digestive systems."

"I see. I will attempt to rectify this immediately. What would better meet your nutritional requirements?"

"A steak wouldn't go amiss."

Heimdall looked vaguely appalled.

"A selection of fruit, bread, a light dish of cooked vegetables, pulses or grains... lightly seasoned, possibly some..." Daniel looked over at Jack, "pie or pastry dish..."

"I will have to consult our database. I am unfamiliar with some of your terms. However, I will endeavour to supply you with a selection. Again, we apologise."

"And some beer wouldn't go amiss, either."

"Jack!"

"Well, it can't help to ask."

Heimdall nodded slightly, then went to the panel on the wall by the door and spoke into it in a high, lilting voice in a language neither of them understood.

"It will be with us shortly. We will use our transporter to acquire what you require."

As much as Jack wanted a beer, he hoped that the Asgard didn't steal it from some old guy sitting down to his last bottle.

"Thank you."

Heimdall returned to the bed, smoothing it with his hand. Jack sat next to Daniel on the other bed and reached out a tentative hand towards him.

"Are the sleeping arrangements adequate?"

"Er... yeah, sure, I guess."

Heimdall eyed them curiously. "You are a mated pair?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Jack hid his embarrassment by coughing into his hand. He hardly wanted to say 'no, not yet, but give us a couple of hours'. He glanced over at Daniel, rapidly turning beetroot red and decided that a little white lie probably wouldn't go amiss.

"Yes, that's right." He crossed his fingers behind his back, not missing Daniel's threatened and threatening expression.

"I see. We were unaware of this." Heimdall paused, thoughtful. "How is this accomplished? May I be permitted to observe?"

"What!"

"Er... no. Definitely not. It's... private."

"I see." Heimdall looked extremely disappointed, then changed the subject quickly and began to ask them all sorts of questions about humanity, while in turn they learnt next to nothing about the Asgard. Partway through, Daniel had to excuse himself to use the bathroom. When he returned, he was sure he bore the same bemused expression that he'd seen on Jack's face earlier.

After an hour or so, the doorbell tinkled again, and another small, grey figure entered, followed by a floating platform heaving with food.

"Ah. I will leave you to enjoy your... food." Heimdall looked at the dishes distastefully, as he turned, took the other alien by the hand and went to leave the room. "If you change your mind about the sexual intercourse, please use the communicator and I will be with you momentarily."

"Um."

"I will return for you in approximately eight hours."

"Thanks."

The door closed behind them, leaving Jack, Daniel and a huge pile of food.

"Let's burn the communicator," whispered Jack.

Daniel looked over at the food. "I kind of wish that we'd explained to them about the whole cooking thing," he said.

Chapter 12

Jack dove into one of the dishes, which turned out to be some sort of casserole.

"Should have explained to the Asgard about plates and cutlery as well," he said, scooping at the food with a slice of bread.

Daniel reached out for a cake and waved it at him. "Well, I'm alright, Jack."

"So what do you know about the Asgard?"

"You've not come across these guys before?"

"No."

"Well, you have to remember that I've been mostly specialising in Ancient Egypt since I finished university. What little I know of the Asgard I learnt over ten years ago."

"So... what do you know?"

Daniel told Jack all he could. Which wasn't much.

"And this Hel character?"

"From what I recall, Hel supposedly rules over the dead in Niflheim."

"I thought the Vikings and such went to Valhalla?" Jack remembered that film with Kirk Douglas.

"The warriors supposedly do, or those that die in battle. Niflheim is where... the others go."

"Ah. Now, tell me if I'm paranoid, but this doesn't sound good, does it."

"I'm not sure. From what little I've seen of the Asgard so far, they seem to be a race of scientists. It's just possible that Hel's research has mostly been..."

"On dead guys. Right. Hmm." Jack frowned. There sure were a lot of dead guys left on earth. "So what about these Replicators?"

"I have no idea. I can only assume that they are some sort of threat from another world."

Jack processed this.

"Doesn't sound that good. Our first and only allies having big problems of their own."

"No, I agree."

They ate as much as they could, and then moved the floating trolley to one corner of the room. By mutual consent, they returned to the messed-up bed and collapsed onto it. Daniel turned to Jack.

"I feel... kind of weird."

"Me too. I get the feeling we're being watched."

"We're not though. Are we?"

"Who knows? That Heimdall guy... seemed a bit, well..."

"Well?"

"Like Carter when she'd got a new gizmo to play with."

"How's that?"

"Well, you know, take it to bits, see how it works and think about the consequences later."

"Ah."

"So... how about that Asgard bathroom?"

"Mmm."

"Mmm."

"Well... when you think about their physiology."

"Come again?"

"Well... they don't appear to have any... accoutrements."

Jack chuckled. "Dickless."

"So it would appear."

"And how about..."

"Well, as far as I can tell, there's no evidence of that either."

"So you mean they don't..."

"As far as I can see... not that I have been looking too closely, you understand, it would appear that the Asgard do not, in fact, need to use the bathroom."

"So I did piss in the shower, then."

"Yeah, well, ditto."

"It was a bit difficult to tell."

"Mmm."

"Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack?"

"You know what we were up to before we were so rudely interrupted..."

"Well, I seem to remember groping being mentioned at some point."

"Would you consider me a coward if we just went to bed?"

"Under the circumstances, not at all, Jack. Not at all."

Daniel found a control that dimmed the lights, and together they stripped down to their shorts and climbed into bed. Truth be told, they were still somewhat nervous in each other's company, despite everything. Although Jack wanted desperately to be with Daniel, there was still a small voice at the back of his brain telling him that this was wrong, that it was too soon after Sam.

Jack leaned over and ran his hand lazily up Daniel's arm, the rough skin on the pads of his fingers sliding over the dry skin.

Daniel leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

"Hey, I thought we weren't going to do anything."

Jack caught a slight gleam in Daniel's eye.

"Mmm. Just as I expected, Doctor Jackson. If it were possible to be a closet exhibitionist, you'd be one."

Daniel reached out a hand to Jack's shoulder, and brought himself in for an open-mouthed kiss. Jack had no complaints. Kissing Daniel was rapidly becoming one of his favourite things, and he suspected that even after they finally got round to consummating this relationship, and it was definitely a 'when' now for Jack rather than an 'if', kissing Daniel would still be one of his favourite things.

Daniel's hand began a slow wander down Jack's chest. He really had a thing about it, and loved to toy with the hair. That was another thing Jack found unusual. That Daniel liked doing this, even though he didn't seem that bothered about his own chest.

Jack wrapped his arms around him and brought him in close. Yes, the kissing was definitely right up there. Daniel frantically attacked his mouth, seemed to want to sample every bit of him. Jack ran one hand down to the top of Daniel's shorts, then casually ghosted it over his ass. The feel of soft skin over taught muscle went straight to Jack's groin. God, but this guy was hot. Daniel paused momentarily, and shivered slightly. This was about as far as they had managed to get, so far, and it was tearing them both apart.

The shiver seemed to be an unconscious reaction, a side effect of the time Daniel had spent on Klorel's ship. Jack raised his palm and Daniel broke off from the kiss.

"S'okay, Jack. Keep it there."

Jack glanced at Daniel, gazing through his lashes, grinned and brought his hand back down possessively. Daniel shuddered again, then stilled.

"Okay."

"Okay," he nodded, though Jack could still see the slightly haunted expression in Daniel's eyes.

"How about if I?" Jack moved his hand round until his thumb rubbed against one of Daniel's sharp hip bones. Daniel arched slightly, and Jack could feel the heat practically roll off of the man.

"Oh! Oh. Mmm. That's better," Daniel rolled his eyes, and bit his lip.

"Sure it is."

Daniel gave him a serious glance again, then silenced Jack by taking possession of his mouth for another searing kiss.

Daniel tried not to think, he honestly did, but 'what ifs' kept rolling through his brain. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in the sensation of it. Jack was special. Jack had the most fantastic mouth, and a great body, all hidden strength. He rubbed at one of Jack's nipples, feeling it respond immediately. Switched to the other and got an identical response. There was only one thing for it. With eyes still closed, he kissed his way along Jack's jaw and down his neck. Hand fast on Jack's shoulder, he licked and nipped his way down his chest.

Jack shifted beside him, and rolled them both so that Daniel was on top. He looked down at the top of Daniel's head.

"Daniel?"

"Yes, Jack?" Daniel murmured, before sealing his mouth over one nipple.

"Ah! Mmm." Jack... wasn't used to this, but yeah.

"Good?"

"Mmm. Uh."

Daniel took the nipple between his teeth and started to worry at it.

"Er... uh! Daniel?"

"Mmm?"

"What you were saying about the Asgard?" Why the heck was he worrying about those guys again? Man, but that tingling sensation... "Uh... oh god."

Daniel smiled inwardly. His timing may not be the best, but it was certainly getting results.

"Mmm?"

"I thought... I thought we weren't going to do anything... in case they saw."

Daniel answered this by snaking one hand out, away from Jack's belly, and flipping the sheet so that it covered them, as if they were in a make-shift tent. Although the room was dim, there was still just enough light for them to be able to pick out each other's features.

"Damn." Jack stroked his hands shakily through Daniel's hair, holding him close.

"What?"

"I knew I should have brought my torch."

Daniel smiled up at Jack, his heart full enough to burst.

"I love you," he said.

"Oh, Daniel." Jack stroked Daniel's hair with a kind of quiet desperation now. Surely the words weren't that difficult to say. "I love you, too."

They gazed at each other. After a few seconds, Daniel became hyper-aware of the warmth of their cocoon. From his position low on Jack's chest, he felt the fresh air on his feet where they hung over the edge of the bed, but more importantly, he felt Jack's erection pressing determinedly into him, his own somewhere low on Jack's thigh.

"Jack."

"Mmm."

"Please." He snaked a finger into the top of Jack's shorts.

"You do pick your times, Doctor Jackson," Jack smiled exasperatedly.

Daniel rolled off of Jack as Jack removed his underwear.

"Now you," Jack said pointedly.

Daniel was too busy examining Jack. He was still low down on the bed, and quite frankly just wanted to dive forward and take Jack in his mouth.

"Oh, God."

"Daniel?"

"Yesss."

"Daniel?"

Daniel's hand moved of its own accord, and lovingly stroked along Jack's length.

"Daniel! Shorts? Oh."

Jack felt warm and soft under his hand. It was no good. He really was trying to cooperate. He wanted to get naked, honestly he did; it was just that there was something really important he had to do first.

He raised himself up on his knees and moved in close. An inch from Jack's dick he stopped, taking in the scent of him, stroking him.

"Daniel." Jack warned, still running a hand through Daniel's hair, willing him to cooperate. It was the last coherent thought he had for a while. Daniel leaned forward, rolled his tongue around the head of Jack's dick, and then swallowed him whole.

"Oh, god, Daniel!" Jack's hands clamped hard over Daniel's head as Daniel started to move, sucking at Jack's length, releasing him to lick him and then taking him in his mouth again.

"Oh... Daniel, please..." Jack whimpered. "Oh, Daniel, this... this is fantastic... but please, please get up here where I can see you."

Daniel reluctantly withdrew, and as he shimmied his way up the bed, Jack grabbed hold of Daniel's shorts and pulled them down.

They smiled sheepishly at each other as Jack moved the covers slightly, so that their heads emerged from the linen, and they were left chest to chest and groin to groin. Daniel slipped out of his shorts and toed them somewhere into the hidden depths of the bed.

"Better?"

"Much."

As Jack reached out to take Daniel in his hand for the very first time, Daniel rocked into him.

"What do you want, Daniel?"

"Jack..." it wouldn't hurt to tell him now, after all. "We... er... can't do too much... I'm er... waiting for some test results to come back."

"Oh, okay," Jack processed this. "I figured there was something." He didn't want to pry, and knew that if they talked about this now, it would most definitely spoil the mood. "So, um... what do you want to do?"

"What I really want to do," said Daniel, eyeing Jack pretty much in the same way that Jack had been eyeing up his casserole, "is to suck you so hard you think all your birthdays have come at once."

"Don't mince words, Daniel," Jack grinned, "tell me how you really feel..."

"But if you want me up here, I am equally happy to do this..." Daniel illustrated his point by expertly thrusting his erection against Jack's, "or this," he grasped them both and thrust again.

"Oh mmm... either of those works for me... but the sucking thing?"

"Yes?"

"That sounds like an excellent way to start the morning."

"I'll bear that in mind."

"Shame though."

"What?"

"I... er... managed to get a few choice supplies when I was picking up the groceries earlier. But they're back in the cabin."

"Um... me too."

"You too?"

"Condoms. At the surgery."

"Ah. And they would be?"

"In the bedroom back at the cabin."

"Typical."

Jack pulled Daniel close and wrapped his arms around him. Daniel began to lazily thrust against Jack.

"Shame the Asgard didn't think to supply any oil with that buffet of theirs."

"Why, Doctor Jackson!"

Daniel silenced him with a deep kiss, and together they found a rhythm. The sweat between them eased the friction a little, and the roughness was good. Daniel looked in awe at his new lover. Jack was a fantastically adaptable man, and Daniel was sure that the guy would be able to cope with a little chafing. He looked down between them and nearly lost it.

Jack's bronzed skin stood out in stark contrast to the whiteness of the sheets, his skin glowing from the exertion. Nestled between Jack's thighs, Daniel took in the gleam of sweat, and the way that Jack had tensed his thigh muscles in order to rock into him. Boy, when they got back to earth, Daniel was so going to teach Jack a thing or two. He steadied himself on one hand and reached the other around to grasp at the back of Jack's thigh.

Jack looked up at Daniel, catching the thoughtful expression dancing across his features. His new shorter hair framed his face beautifully; he was an angel against the white, though he wouldn't tell Daniel that for all the world. He'd been accused of sappiness at least once that day.

Jack gripped him tight, revelling in the sensation. He felt his body start to tense up; pleasure thrumming through him. His toes involuntarily curled into the mattress as he matched Daniel's movements. As his balls started to tighten, he imagined Daniel's mouth on him again; what it would feel like to have Daniel drink him down. He moaned, deep in the back of his throat and came. Daniel, looking down at him, saw Jack bite at his lower lip and close his eyes. Jack's groan was the trigger that sent him over the edge. Between them, suddenly, there was too much moisture.

"Oh, yeah," said Jack, as he finally got his breath back and opened his eyes.

Daniel couldn't hold his weight off of Jack any longer and so rolled off, keeping their shoulders touching.

"Oh, yeah." As his heartbeat slowed, he turned his head to face Jack, noted that Jack had a smile to mirror his own, and sighed, content. "Very civilised, these Asgard, don't you think?"

"Wha?"

"That they give us one bed for sex, and another to sleep in?"

"Mmm?"

"No wet patch."

"No wet patch. Well, hot damn." Jack grinned and wiped himself down with the sheet, before rolling out of bed and offering Daniel a hand up.

"You have way too much energy there, General." Daniel frowned.

"Ya think?"

"Mmm. I think. Which can mean only one thing."

"What?"

"Next time, it is definitely your turn to top."

Jack beamed some more, as they made it to the other bed and slid under the covers. They finished the evening the way they had finished the last few, wrapped in each others arms.

"Sleep tight."

"Goodnight, Daniel. Don't let the bedbugs bite."

Jack leaned in for his goodnight kiss.

Chapter 13

It was such a pity that Daniel wasn't a morning person. Jack lay with the full weight of his archaeologist pinning him to the bed, pondering on whether to wake him and remind him about the blow job when the door bell tinkled and Heimdall sauntered in.

"Ah. General O'Neill."

"Heimdall," Jack managed, giving him a wave and trying to look nonchalant.

"How was your sexual intercourse?"

"It was... very good, thank you, Heimdall," Jack said bemusedly, noting that Daniel was stirring slightly in his arms. He didn't think Daniel would take too kindly to any kiss and tell tactics.

Heimdall looked between the two beds, obviously debating whether or not to ask any further questions. It looked as if the Asgard was planning on being there for a while. Jack got the sneaking suspicion that Heimdall was itching to take their sheets away for DNA analysis.

"Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Ah, yes, General O'Neill. I have been sent to inform you that the Asgard High Council are now ready to meet with you and your government. Please make your way down the corridor to your right with all due haste."

"Right."

"Yes, right."

"No, I meant... ah, forget it."

Jack stroked absently down Daniel's arm, while Heimdall continued to just stand there.

"With all due haste, General?"

"Yeah?" Jack looked daggers at Heimdall, hoping that the alien would take a hint.

Heimdall shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"So... a little privacy, please?"

Heimdall looked affronted, then stalked off out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"I thought that guy would never leave," snuffled a sleepy voice somewhere in the region of Jack's chest.

"Come on, big fella. Time to get up."

"Can't. Sleeping."

"Time to meet the bigwigs up at county hall."

"Screw them. I'm sleepin'."

"Daniel."

"I mean it. Fuck 'em." He nuzzled in closer, stirring the hairs on Jack's chest with his breath. Jack sighed.

"You have no idea, do you?"

"Mmm?"

"How little I actually WANT to get up and do this? How I'd much rather say screw the whole lot of them and stay here in bed with you."

"Mmm. Talking of screwing."

"Daniel."

"And I really wanted to give you a blow job this morning."

Jack's dick twitched in agreement.

"Me too, Danny. Me too."

"Mmmmf."

"You realise, of course, the longer we stay here, the more chance there is that Heimdall will come back in for a demonstration. And this time, he might bring some of his chums with him."

"Point taken." Daniel rolled off of Jack and blearily blinked up at the ceiling. "That really is a passion killer."

"Well, I suppose I'd better try and brave that shower."

"I'd offer to join you... but until we're sure how it works, I think I'll let you be the guinea pig."

"Why thank you so much."

"I'll get something to eat. See if I can find any fresh clothes for us."

"You do that."

Jack sauntered off to the shower.

Ten minutes or so later saw Jack and Daniel making their way down the corridor, slightly cleaner but in yesterday's clothes.

"Of course. They don't exactly have a need for fresh clothes."

"Apparently not. Or towels."

"No."

Jack pulled at the front of his jeans where he was starting to resent his decision to go commando in that he wouldn't have to wear yesterday's underwear.

"Something is chafing, big time," he said as he jiggled his leg slightly.

"Mmm." Daniel certainly wasn't any better off.

They reached the door of the meeting chamber.

"Oh well, at least this way it will be easier to moon people."

"Jack!"

They entered, side by side, taking in the high-backed command chairs and the sparse groups of Asgard ranged around the room.

Jack wasn't sure what Thor had planned, but as it turned out it was reasonably spectacular and got results.

One by one, startled looking men and women were beamed into the room. Beamed in, moreover, obviously unaware that it was about to happen. Jack quickly hid a grin behind his hand as the new president of the United States was beamed in not only face down on the floor but in her underwear. The Vice President smiled at her and wordlessly handed her his jacket.

Jack was pretty sure he could see Thor's disappointment. It was, he reflected, a rather hodge-podge array of men and women. Of the order of succession from before the Goa'uld invasion only five people remained, and everyone here was struggling to fill their new shoes under trying circumstances. The President herself had been until recently Attorney General, and as the first female president of the United States she was coming under a serious amount of pressure from several quarters. He wondered just how many politicians had made it to the Beta site, and kind of hoped that none of them made it back.

Thor gave them scant few minutes to become accustomed to their new surroundings and then launched straight in. He began to explain about the Goa'uld. About the protected planets treaty. Jack pinpointed the precise second when they were suddenly on the side of the Asgard. It was the point at which Thor promised them an Asgard early warning system. He diplomatically pointed out that Ra and Chronos at least were still out there and by now probably knew that Earth was nearly defenceless.

The President swayed in her pantyhose. She may have been underdressed, but she was coming out of her corner fighting.

"And in return for this assistance?"

Thor gazed implacably at the woman.

"We find that at this time it is beneficial for the Asgard to assist the human race. The Asgard are currently engaged in a war against another enemy. It is hoped that in due course, the peoples of Earth would be able to help us in our war."

The president nodded.

"I scratch your back..."

Thor looked bemused.

"You get us back on our feet, we supply forces to assist you." She looked at the other people in the room. A couple of them shrugged. None of them realistically knew where the hell they'd be next week, and she was onto a loser which ever way she played it.

"I am sure that we can come to some sort of mutually beneficial arrangement. Bear in mind that this would only apply to the peoples of the United States of America, however."

"We are aware of this. We will also assist you in extricating your Stargate."

Jack drew in his breath, but kept quiet.

"Stargate?"

None of them knew. Gods, but none of them knew. The president had heard a rumour once, but wild rumours were just that, and dismissed out of hand on a daily basis. Jack thought of the scant handful of people who'd known, well KNEW aside from him. He could count the ones left alive on the fingers of one hand. And these were the men... ye gods, who were trying to recruit him? So who... who did they report to? He realised he'd been guilty of some gross assumptions, and thought that he could smell Kinsey's rank influence, even from this great distance. Whatever these guys were up to, they'd had two months in which to do it. There were a lot of factors that warranted serious consideration, once he was out of here. Too many people were playing seriously important cards way too close to their chest. Jack squinted up at Thor. No wonder Thor needed them here. He was damn well the top dog.

Jack tuned back in to Thor, telling them about the Stargate. Man, but he could see that steep learning curve right now.

Two hours later, General Jack O'Neill stood out, slightly damply and one star better off as the reinstated man in charge of the Stargate program. He saw serious quality time with the president in his immediate future. He'd have to ask for a new Bat Phone.

"Sweet," he said.

"And now, I would like to introduce you to someone," gestured Thor.

Thor had explained how it would be beneficial for the peoples of Earth and Asgard to work together. What he had omitted to mention was that he thought it beneficial for a member of the Asgard High Council to be on the new SG-1.

"Gentlemen, meet Hel."

The figure that strode forward was small, even for an Asgard. She was also extremely disfigured, burnt and withered flesh covering one side of her face, down across a shoulder and along one arm. Jack brindled slightly, considering how useful this individual would be in a combat situation.

Daniel stepped forward, hand outstretched.

"Pleased to meet you."

The Asgard gripped his hand, a grip so powerful it made him wince.

"Likewise," came the high, lilting voice.

"You understand," interrupted Thor, "that our assistance in your program will require some changes to your laws."

Jack could smell a rat a mile off and held his breath. So, apparently, could the assembled politicians.

"In what way?"

And Thor was right in there again, laying down his list of requirements. Voices became raised, tempers a tad fraught.

"We can NOT just amend the Constitution..."

"Surely, though... some temporary provision..."

Jack kept silent. No matter how hard he tried he wasn't a politician, and he could kind of see Thor's point. There were a few things the guy needed redefining. Like what constituted an 'individual'; that was basic. Jack thought of the Goa'uld and the Jaffa. One individual or two? And their rights? The Vice President launched off into a diatribe at one point about the nationality of the symbiote versus the nationality of the host, and Jack just smiled to himself. Now you're getting it, he thought. This'll keep you busy for a while. And as for the Asgard, well, just looking at the guys let alone trying to use their damn bathrooms was enough to put the kybosh on anyone's preconceived ideas of sexual identity. He wasn't even listening and it made his head spin.

At some point during one of their little side-arguments someone twigged that the new definition of 'individual', which incorporated non-humans and in this case specifically the apparently asexual Asgard might need serious work to bypass that whole 'don't ask don't tell' thing, say, if two Asgard in the service of the military were to... well, never mind...

After another couple of hours of it, Jack seriously considered sitting in a corner and banging his head against a wall. Looking over at Daniel though, which seemed like a sane and worthwhile use of his time, he could see that Daniel was just lapping it up. Loving every gosh-darn minute of it.

And so it went. They talked tactics. They talked funding, policy and technology. They were there all day. Part way through, Heimdall left and came back with some of the geometric, inedible food for the other guests. Daniel noted wryly that this was the point at which they all really started to cave.

Everything was recorded and signed. Provisionally, of course.

It was late in the afternoon when the dignitaries were dismissed, and beamed back to wherever they'd come from. Jack and Daniel stood together in the council chamber as the lights started to dim and the Asgard to depart. Jack said the most relevant and important thing that came to mind.

"Man, I could use a drink."

He ran a hand through his hair, and Daniel took the other hand to lead him from the room.

Heimdall came up to him, Hel in tow.

"Would you care to spend the night here, or would you like to be returned home?"

"Daniel?"

"I'm kind of exhausted. Okay if we crash here?"

"Indeed."

"So, you're coming back with us, Hel?" Jack was still getting used to the Asgard.

"Yes. I will be living with you," Hel twittered.

"You what?" Great, thought Jack. Just as well they'd be staying here tonight. Once they were back, they probably wouldn't get a moment's peace. "You'll have to sleep on the floor."

Heimdall perked up and looked over at Hel. "You must record their social interaction for my study," he beamed.

Chapter 14

The next morning, Jack woke to the sounds of a low rumble filling the space ship. Leaving Daniel, he dressed and found his way down the corridor to the control cabin. His entry went unnoticed, as several Asgard brought the ship down through the stratosphere to hover over Cheyenne Mountain.

At the front of the ship was an enormous view screen, providing them with a view not only of the mountain, but of the area for miles around.

Thor noticed Jack and gestured for him to join him by the command chair.

"See, O'Neill, we have already commenced work on extricating your Stargate."

At the summit, Jack caught a faint grey shimmer as a circular object emerged from nowhere, and seemed to float through the air, coming to rest nearby. The destruction of the CMC hadn't even scratched it.

Hel turned from her position at a console on the far wall.

"We have ensured that there will be adequate space here," she gestured at a freshly-levelled rectangle of land, "for any facilities you wish to erect around the Bifrost Bridge."

Jack looked puzzled.

"Your Stargate, O'Neill." Thor almost seemed to stifle a chuckle.

Jack turned to face the front once more. Down on the ground, he could see literally hundreds of figures running around, organising work parties and lorry loads of supplies.

"You must get used to Hel's ways, O'Neill." Jack looked between Thor and Hel, wondering what the unsaid story was. There was obviously some past here that he just wasn't privy to.

"Among the Asgard, Hel is considered to be rather... old-fashioned."

"I prefer to use the term traditional."

"Indeed."

Hel fiddled with the controls some more, bringing the Stargate down into the centre of the level area. Even from this distance, Jack could see that she made an expert job of it, the gate delicately turning on the spot.

"Bifrost Bridge, you say?"

"Yes."

Something else to ask Daniel, he thought.

Another group of Asgard talked amongst themselves to Jack's right.

"What's happening to the mountain?"

"We have begun work on the monument."

"Monument?"

"Do you not recall, O'Neill, that we explained to your government that we would turn your Cheyenne Mountain Complex into a monument for your dead?"

Jack guessed he might have tuned that bit out. It had probably been about eight hours into the proceedings, after all.

"Oh, okay."

The terraforming of the mountain took place silently beneath them. After twenty minutes or so, Jack felt a touch on his shoulder, and turned to see Daniel smiling at him, closely followed by Heimdall.

"Heimdall came to get me. Thought I might be interested." He nodded at Heimdall, who turned as if to leave.

"I will have an answer for you before you leave," Heimdall beamed.

Jack didn't like the way that he looked incredibly pleased with himself.

"Daniel? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Later," he whispered, and hooked his arm through Jack's. Together, they watched as the sides of Cheyenne Mountain became regular, taking on a familiar, pyramidal shape.

"Hmm. Lest we forget."

"Lest we forget."

Jack kissed Daniel lightly on the cheek.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"What's the Bifrost Bridge?"

Hel looked up briefly from her console, then decided to leave the two men to it.

"The Bifrost Bridge? The quivering roadway?"

"Daniel," warned Jack.

"It's supposedly the way that one can travel between Asgard and Earth... oh! The Stargate." He smiled. "Apparently, the gods built the Bifrost Bridge, and humans see it as a rainbow. Its fairly appropriate, don't you think?"

"Hmm. You've not used one of these yet, have you?"

"Well, no. I only heard about it in Thor's briefing; that and what you've told me. I've used those ring transporters, though."

"The gate does a lot more than quiver, I'm telling you." Back in the saddle, he thought. A whole new SGA to run. "I kinda like the name, though. Maybe we can be the Bifrost Boys this time."

"I somehow doubt it."

"Yeah. We're more likely to be the quiverers."

Jack extricated his arm and slung it over Daniel's shoulder, pointing out the new location of the gate. They stood together for a while, watching the proceedings. After a while, an old ambulance turned up on the scene, and Jack hoped that there weren't more casualties already.

"Thor," asked Jack, "when we used the Stargate before, we had some kind of program to get the thing up and running. Instead of a DHD."

"Do not concern yourself, O'Neill. We are in the process of acquiring a dialling device for you."

"Thanks. I guess at some point, we should think about getting our people home from the Beta site."

"Mmm." Daniel ran his hand thoughtfully down Jack's back. "Are you sure she's..."

"Daniel, Carter didn't make it."

"Oh, okay."

"Knowing my luck, there'll just be a handful of politicians left there, and everyone else will have eaten each other."

"So, gentlemen. Are you ready to return?"

They turned to face Thor. "Just beam us down, Scotty," Jack quipped. If Thor had had an eyebrow, he would have raised it.

Seconds later, Jack, Daniel and Hel found themselves feet away from the newly repositioned Stargate. If they hadn't had Asgard company, Jack thought that they would have been totally ignored. As it was, everyone fell suddenly silent and stopped what they were doing. Jack removed his arm from Daniel's shoulder, thoughtfully. After a few seconds pause, a rather awe-struck Captain escorted them towards one of the tents.

Halfway there, Jack had a double-take moment. The ambulance that he'd spotted from the Biliskner, Thor's ship, was parked a way off to one side. It looked remarkably like the ambulance he'd bombed round half of the country in, in the company of Bra'tac and his happy band of men. Everything became clear at the command tent.

Hel stayed outside as Jack and Daniel entered. They seemed to interrupt some sort of altercation.

"Colonel, what seems to be the problem?" asked Jack, taking control of the situation immediately.

"General, this man..."

"O'Neill!" came a cheerful voice from the other side of the room, as a familiar face hove into view.

"Its Nestor, isn't it?"

"Indeed O'Neill," the dreadlocked man beamed at him.

"Sir... I."

"Enough. Colonel, let me explain. This man, Nestor, is one of the Jaffa who assisted us in freeing the world from the Goa'uld."

"But, Sir!" The Colonel looked warily at the grubby man, currently sitting on the table swinging his legs in a pair of stained cut-offs and a tie-dyed shirt.

"I said enough!" General Jack O'Neill was firm, and Daniel cowered slightly at the change that had taken over his lover. It was as if the man was a total stranger. It was the first time he'd ever experienced Jack in General mode, and he was quite unprepared for how scary the man could be.

Jack silenced any muttering with a glare. "This man will be accorded every courtesy I would expect you to show to myself or one of my officers." He strutted, looking Nestor up and down. "In fact, effective immediately, I am giving this man the field commission of Captain. He is..." Jack thought fast, "Goa'uld intelligence officer, is that clear?"

"Sir, yes Sir!" snapped the Colonel.

Jack turned his attention to Nestor. "Is that alright with you, N?"

"Indeed it is, O'Neill." Nestor gazed over Jack's shoulder at Daniel. "Ah! You have the scribe with you!" Nestor jumped off the table and clapped his arms tight around Daniel. "Man, I haven't seen you since Apophis' party!"

Jack was bemused. What would Bra'tac think? One of his treasured warriors going AWOL as a Rasta, driving round the country in a beat-up ambulance. Jack warmed to the man even more.

"How fare you?" Nestor drew back, allowing Daniel to breathe.

"I'm... fine," muttered Daniel.

Colonel Wright stepped forward.

"Is this the Doctor Jackson we were told about?"

"He is, I mean, I am."

Jack took a deep breath, hoping that the other proposed changes to governmental policy would start filtering their way down to the minions real fast. Dammit. He took a deep breath, and put his arm back over Daniel's shoulder, daring the Colonel to say anything.

"And he is also to be accorded every courtesy that you would show me. Is that clear?"

Colonel Wright looked dubious, and left slightly too long a pause before replying.

"Colonel?"

"Yes, Sir."

"I should damn well hope so, because as of now, this man is 2IC of the new Stargate Command." He wasn't entirely certain of his authority here, particularly in making Nestor a Captain, but he thought screw it, how was Wright to know that.

"Sir I was under the impression..."

"What... that it was you?"

Daniel gulped.

"Do I even know you, Colonel?"

"No, Sir!"

"Have I even served with you, Colonel?"

"No, Sir!"

"Then wipe that damn smug expression off your face. Nestor, you're with me," he gestured to the back of the tent, turned and left.

Outside, he smiled at Hel, Nestor and Daniel.

"Well, that went well, I thought."

Jack drew Daniel to one side, giving Hel and Nestor five minutes to get acquainted. As he walked away, he noted Nestor trying to get Hel to join him in a cigarette.

"Tell me why we came back again?"

Daniel smiled at him, and leant forward and placed a delicate kiss on Jack's cheek.

"Ah, that's why."

A flash of light to their right indicated the arrival of Heimdall.

"Doctor Jackson, I have your information." He handed Daniel a small, flat device, and before Jack could stop his mouth from flapping, Heimdall had vanished again.

"Daniel?"

Nestor and Hel looked over at them, concerned, before resuming their conversation.

"Er..."

"Daniel," warned Jack.

"You know those tests I've been waiting on?"

"Ye-es?"

"I... er... had Heimdall do them."

"You what!"

"Um."

"You gave Heimdall access to your genetic material?"

"Um..." Daniel looked extremely shame-faced. "Actually..."

"Actually what?"

"I said he could take the sheets."

"Daniel! You gave Heimdall access to both our DNA? Have you any idea?"

"I... er... sorry Jack... I guess I wasn't thinking."

Jack guessed that Daniel had in fact been thinking with his dick, something he would usually give the man extra credit for, but in this case...

"You did say he wasn't allowed to use it, didn't you?"

"I... er..."

"Right. Let me get hold of the guy." Jack stormed off as Daniel returned to Hel and Nestor. Daniel watched as Jack proceeded to shout at the sky. The new commander of the SGA was certainly making a good impression.

Chapter 15

The next day, shaved, washed, and finally in a clean set of clothes, Jack's team stood impatiently by the Stargate as some of the unnamed Asgard set up the new DHD. As they completed the installation, a black limousine drew up and the President and various aides got out.

"Gentlemen."

She was looking better, much better. It was a relief, he could tell. Today, they would find out who else had survived. Jack wanted this to put his past to rest. The USAF wanted this to claim some of their officers back. The President needed it for all kinds of reasons, the mere thought of which made his teeth itch.

They stood there in silence as the gate activated and a group of officers went through. They held their breath. Twenty minutes later, the first party returned. And then the gate was active off and on for the rest of the day as wave after wave of people came through and were escorted away.

Jack saw precious few people that he recognised until the afternoon, and then suddenly there was a whole group of them. What was the guy's name? Davis? And Kawalski, helping an injured man hobble down the ramp.

The man looked up and straight through him.

Mayborne, the maggot.

They came over to them. Jack wondered idly how he could greet Kawalski without having give Harry Mayborne the time of day. In the end, he decided that abuse was the best tactic.

"Harry. I heard that after the holocaust the only two things to survive would be cockroaches and Tupperware. I guess you fit into the first category."

"Nice to see you again too, Jack."

Mayborne extricated himself and with a sly grin, went off to talk to an immaculate Senator Kinsey who was currently making a nuisance of himself.

Jack grinned and grasped Kawalski's arm.

"Hey, happy Halloween, Jack," grinned Kawalski back at him.

Daniel looked on bemused. "Jack? Who was that guy?" he asked.

"Oh, later, Daniel. Much later."

They'd got a lot of people back today. So, they'd acquired a couple of bad apples along the way. What did a guy expect, after all?

Kawalsky took a look at the surroundings. "At some point, someone's going to have to explain to me what the heck I've missed these last couple of months or so. I mean... the gate... in the open?"

Daniel looked back over his shoulder, and wasn't surprised to see a whole phalanx of reporters tearing after the President, then as she was driven away, anyone that looked important. He briefly caught the words 'Bifrost Park' and 'new era of enlightened thinking'. Daniel's attention was fully occupied when the reporter started to ask questions about the Church of the Third Millennium. Daniel tapped Jack on the shoulder and indicated that he would stay around here for a while. Jack smiled back, and Daniel watched as he sauntered off with Kawalsky, clearly reminiscing.

It was later that evening when Jack caught up with Daniel back at the camp. Some enterprising soul had brought in a few more tents, and Jack was delighted to see that he and Daniel now had one to themselves. Hey, it was tiny, but that was all to the good, wasn't it? One night with Hel and Nestor rolled in with them had been more than enough. Hell, that Asgard snored enough to wake the dead. And Nestor, well, who'd of thought that a guy that size could blub about wanting a kitten in his sleep.

Jack sealed the flap down behind him and took in the sight of his lover in the lamp light.

"Not hungry tonight?"

"I brought something back. Couldn't face the whole communal thing again."

"I know how you feel." Jack reached into his jacket and brought out a rather squashed sandwich.

"Don't suppose you brought any coffee back with you?"

"All I have is this." He pulled a hip flask from his pocket. "Will that do?" He handed the scotch to Daniel.

"Well..." Daniel took a swig, then smiled.

"Kawalsky keeps trying to persuade me to join his poker circle, so I'd better stay up for a bit in case he drops by."

"Understood."

Jack sighed, and sat down next to Daniel on the second sleeping bag, running a hand through his hair. Daniel was already tucked up in bed, looking as cute as all heck in his borrowed shirt. Jack could barely keep his eyes off of him.

Daniel sucked at the end of his pen thoughtfully, and wrote another line in the notebook he was carrying. Jack watched as the pen disappeared in and out of his mouth, and coughed. Daniel looked up.

"Jack?"

He smiled, shame-faced. "You'd better stop doing that." He gestured at the pen. Daniel's eyebrows nearly went through the roof.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Ah. Um." Daniel took the pen from his mouth and laid it to one side. "Actually Jack, I hate to break the mood, but I think we might have a problem."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I was hanging around with those reporters this afternoon, and, well..."

"Daniel?"

"You remember the Church of the Third Millennium group we bumped into in Minnesota?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it seems that in the last two months, groups have been springing up all over the place."

"And?"

"Well, it's odd. One of the reporters with the Herald Tribune was linking the group with, I dunno, the chosen being allowed to leave the planet somehow, and then the guy started going on about the leader. It seems that the leader of this group has got some rather extraordinary powers."

Jack indicated for Daniel to go on, and started to take off his boots.

"Mmm. The leader is this guy called Seth. Seems like he's started to amass his own little army, taking advantage of people's currently susceptible state to gather a rather large following. It appears that currently he has getting on for a thousand followers."

"What? That's nearly as many people as Apophis had slaves."

"Yeah, I know. You haven't heard the worst of it, yet."

"Well?"

"You know how I said that when Klorel... well, when he got in a particular mood his eyes glowed?"

"Yeah. I remember. The same thing used to happen with Apophis."

"Well, apparently, one of the things that this Seth can do is make his eyes glow. He's also reported to have some sort of strange weapon that he wears on his hand."

"Oh, shit. You don't think?"

"Yeah, Jack, I do think. I think we've got another Goa'uld here on Earth."

"Shit."

"Mmm. And with Klorel's ship still here on the planet..."

"I'd better go tell Hel." He slipped his boots back on and backed out of the tent. Daniel sighed. So much for things starting to get easier from now on. What he wanted, more than anything else, was for the two of them to be magically transported to some desert island where they could happily spend a few months just getting to know each other. Without having to save the planet yet again.

Jack was back five minutes later, a bemused grin plastered all over his face.

"You know, I really think I'm gonna enjoy working with those guys."

"Jack?"

"Hel and Nestor. They are currently whipping the USAF at poker." He grinned.

"What did Hel have to say?"

"She said she'd look into it." He sighed and sat back down, intent on getting into bed this time.

Daniel put down his pen and book and contented himself to watching Jack get undressed. Even though his motions were economical, Daniel just loved to see him gradually reveal himself. Jack pulled off his boots and socks, wiggling his toes. His belt was next, and his pants.

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

"Oh, don't mind me." He leant back, arms behind his head.

Now, this was more like it, thought Jack, as Daniel's shirt rode up a fraction, revealing a thin sliver of toned abdomen, and a sprinkling of dark hair leading down. Daniel's position, with his fingers interlaced in his hair, revealed just how muscular Daniel's biceps really were, something that the man seemed able to hide totally in normal clothes.

"So, how many people do you think would hear if I jumped you right now?"

"Oh, probably at a rough estimate I'd say... all of them."

"And how many people do you think are already listening?"

"Several, I guess."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, that's what I figured." He leant in really close, his voice a whisper. "Which is why we need to be extremely quiet."

Daniel looked down at Jack, lying alongside him in t-shirt and shorts. Dammit, but Jack had hit the nail right on the head earlier in the week with his throwaway comment about Daniel being a closet exhibitionist. He licked his lips. "I'll... er... dim the light."

"Better turn it out."

"Oh, okay." If I really, really must, he thought.

There was barely a moon, but it seemed that there were plenty of other lights in the camp.

"Jack? Promise me something?"

"Of course."

"That at some point, you'll let me see what the hell we're doing."

"You know I want to."

"Yeah, I know."

"I want to... er?"

"Want to?"

"Do more than this... fumbling..."

"You know we can't. Not here. It's not safe."

"But..."

"God, Daniel, I know what you're thinking... but this is a busy camp. It is not private..."

"No, I guess not." He looked terribly disappointed, and Jack reached out and stroked his cheek.

"But I promise you Daniel, give it a few days, and I will drag you back to the cabin and make you scream so loud..."

"Now that... that sounds like a challenge."

"Whatever way you want to take it."

Daniel grinned, and felt Jack move away from him. He heard muttered cursing, and seconds later, Jack was unzipping his sleeping bag, and joining it up to his own. Daniel felt Jack slide in next to him.

"Better?"

"Well... you're wearing far too many clothes..."

"Daniel. Can you imagine what Kawalsky would say if he came in and found us like this?"

"Jack, is that what you care about? What people think about you. About us?" Daniel's voice rose, and Jack fought down the urge to shush Daniel by clamping a hand to his mouth.

"No. No, of course not... it's just..."

"If this..." Daniel gestured between the two of them, "is causing some sort of problem for you, why don't you just come right out and say it, Jack?" Daniel crossed his arms in front of himself, challenging the man.

"No, look Daniel, you've got me all wrong... that's not what I meant..." He didn't seem to be winning this one, in fact, as he looked over at Daniel, Daniel seemed to be getting more and more agitated. "Oh, heck. Can I start all over again?"

"Look... I just... no, we just... I need to think things through." Daniel slid out of bed, and not bothering to put on any more clothes, left the tent.

"Well, that went well," Jack said to no one in particular. "Hell, I'd better go after him before he freezes to death."

Chapter 16

Daniel stumbled along in the darkness, out of the camp and towards the gate. He could tell when he had reached the area the Asgard had levelled by the strange, almost sandy feel under his feet. It got darker and darker ahead of him, the ambient light of the camp giving way to the light of the moon and the stars. Ahead, the gate loomed, and immediately before it, a small, unmistakable figure.

Daniel's first instinct was to find some place to hide, but the emptiness of his immediate surroundings prevented that. He stopped in his tracks and sunk to the ground instead.

Hel worked the DHD, oblivious to everything else around her. There was a soft blast, and the gate exploded into life. Daniel watched as several more Asgard came through with what appeared to be a huge block of stone.

He nearly jumped out of his skin as a soft hand touched him on the shoulder. Jack sat down next to him, and wrapped his arms about him.

"Sorry..." He handed Daniel a pair of pants. Pants which Daniel took with a puzzled look on his face, too preoccupied to do anything with them.

"Sorry. What are they doing?"

"I don't know. I think it's that early warning thing the Asgard were talking about."

"Oh. Why now though?"

"Mmm?"

"Why in the middle of the night?"

"Less questions? Fewer reporters?"

"Yeah. Where are they, anyway. I thought they'd be swarming all over the place all night."

"I think they've got there hands full as it is. It's been a bit of an overload for them. Too much news for available resources."

"Maybe."

The Asgard were swarming over the rock, which was levitated somehow into position about forty feet immediately behind the gate. It was now apparent that it was not merely a slab of rock.

"It kind of looks like something I once saw..."

"Daniel?"

"I hate to admit it. It looks like something I saw in a gift shop in a museum once."

"Like what?"

"I dunno. I think it was supposed to be a representation of Thor's hammer."

"Really? Well, that would figure."

The Asgard erected the device quickly, silently, and then all of them except Hel went back through the gate, the wormhole closing behind them.

"Reckon that's the device that's gonna protect the planet from the Goa'uld?"

"I reckon."

"Reckon it works on ones that are already here, or just on the incoming ones?"

"I have no idea."

"Do you think it's turned on already?"

Daniel shrugged. "How would we know?"

"Hell, we'd better make sure it doesn't do anything nasty to Nestor."

The chevrons on the gate started to light up once more.

"What now?"

This time, when the gate opened, two small black shapes flew through.

"I have no idea."

The gate shut itself off. From this distance in the dark, the objects hovering around Hel looked like birds. Daniel gasped as they landed on her shoulders, and she turned around and started to head towards them.

"We'd... er... we'd better head back."

"Check."

The moved off as quickly and silently as they could, before they could be spotted. Back in the camp, the others had gone to bed, and Jack swore that he could here the voice of Nestor floating up out of one of the tents pleading for a kitten. Well... he doesn't sound like he's been affected by any Asgard device, Jack thought, quickly followed by a 'that's my team' moment. Daniel, me, a wacky Jaffa and a disfigured Asgard with way too many secrets. It's gonna be great.

He ushered Daniel into the tent, into the joined sleeping bags, and wrapped him in his arms as Daniel's teeth started to chatter uncontrollably. He fell to sleep gazing at Daniel and wondering about what he'd seen. The next morning seemed to come round much too fast.

Ironically, it was Kawalsky who wakened them, barely raising an eyebrow at his old companion who appeared to be smothering one archaeologist.

"Jack."

Jack had to give the guy credit. The last time Kawalsky had seen him, he'd been arguing with Sam over what toppings to have on their pizza. He guessed they'd both seen some seriously weird shit since then.

"Hey." Jack roused himself and sat up, squinting up into the light. "Didn't I tell you rule one was never to wake your CO at the weekend?"

Kawalsky smiled slyly. "Actually, Jack, you told me that rule one was 'never give a sucker an even break'." Jack watched Kawalsky look curiously over at Daniel before returning his gaze. "I... er... I brought you guys coffee... lots of coffee... and I thought you'd better see these newspapers."

"Thanks, Charlie. Just leave 'em down on the floor. I'm come get them in a sec."

Kawalsky didn't miss the use of his first name, the implication that this was strictly an 'off-duty' moment. Jack thought that Daniel probably wouldn't have noticed, had he been awake.

He clambered out to grab at the papers and coffee. Daniel stirred in his sleep, then rolled over, taking most of the sleeping bag with him. He hardly roused as Jack fought his way back under the covers.

Jack propped himself up and settled down to read the broadsheet first. 'Earth to be protected by Alien Allies' read the lead caption. Elsewhere, he saw 'Mysterious Stone Ring at Cheyenne', then pages upon pages of a rather garbled account of their meeting with the Asgard, and a rather hastily cobbled together report of the implications. It was one of the trashier rags that made him chuckle. The caption simply ran 'Little Gay Men', with an Artist's impression of one rather effeminate-looking Thor.

Daniel managed to rouse himself just before Jack swigged the last of the coffee. It was he that spotted the photo, small and blurry at the bottom of page nine of one of the more serious newspapers. The man in the suit looked remarkably like Senator Kinsey. He was talking to a strange man in white, a man whose eyes appeared tinged with gold. He sighed, elbowing Jack in the ribs.

"It looks like things are about to get complicated round here again."

The Church of the Third Millennium looked like it was shaping up to be a force to be reckoned with; a force that would have to be dealt with sooner rather than later.

The tent flap flew open a second time and Hel waltzed in.

"Oh for crying out loud! Don't you guys ever knock?"

Jack was exasperated. He couldn't even get a lie in with a paper on a Saturday morning. What was the freakin' world coming to?

Hel studied Jack curiously, then turned her attention to Daniel, who had collapsed back onto the bed roll with the paper over his face.

"General O'Neill. It is time to meet with your USAF. The government wishes to commence the establishment of the new SGA."

Jack's comments were most definitely unprintable.

Hel simply smiled and sat there waiting. In fact, she wouldn't go away, not until Jack put his pants on inside the sleeping bag then manhandled her out of the tent.

It could have been his imagination, but as soon as he was outside, shirt under one arm, he thought he could hear a snore coming from the direction of Daniel Jackson.

Hel smiled up at him. Jack started to smile back, then caught a couple of curious black shapes out of the corner of his eye. Two ravens eyed him from an up-turned bucket to the side of one of the camp fires. They looked remarkably like the creatures he'd seen emerge from the ring the previous night. And they looked... odd. Not quite like real ravens. More... prefabricated. Hel caught him looking, then abruptly turned on her heel and strode off. It could have been Jack's imagination again, but the ravens appeared to observe him, briefly, before taking off after Hel.

He heard a clicking sound and running feet and turned round.

"General O'Neill!"

Jack frowned down at himself, slipped on the shirt and buttoned his pants. The reporters swept in around him as he made his way back to the tent.

"General O'Neill, would you care to comment on the Stargate project?"

He waved dismissively at them as he swooped back into the tent and zipped up the flap. These guys weren't going to go away, he could tell.

Over on the bed, the broadsheet rose and fell slightly as the love of Jack's life slept on through it all, oblivious.

Jack reached for his penknife, slit the back of the tent down at ground level and slid out. He caught up with Hel outside the tent where the meeting was to take place.

"Okay. I want answers."

Hel gazed up to him, as innocent-looking as her piebald face would allow. The ravens hopped around her feet.

"O'Neill?"

"These... things," he gestured.

Hel held up her three-fingered hand.

"They are devices... for communication."

"Devices?" Jack crooked an eyebrow.

"You should not concern yourself, O'Neill. Be aware that I have only the best of intentions towards yourself and Daniel Jackson."

"Yeah, well."

Again she held out her hand.

"It was considered more... appropriate... that I communicate with the other Asgard in this fashion. Was I incorrect in that assumption?"

"Incorrect?" He scratched his head. "Well, no. It's a bit unusual, but... you mean to say, that you are in constant contact with the other Asgard?"

"That is correct, O'Neill. The other Asgard wish to oversee the new arrangements and it was considered too intrusive to establish an Asgard contingent here on Earth... also, our resources are stretched rather thin. We are currently engaged in conflicts of our own."

Jack was still trying to work it out. He looked at one of the ravens more closely, thought that he caught a tightening of the iris in the bird's beady eye, kind of like a camera lens focussing in on him.

"So, they're not birds."

"That is correct, O'Neill. They are not."

Jack guessed that this little exchange would have gone a lot smoother if it had been Daniel doing the talking.

"They're... listening devices?"

"It would be more appropriate to consider them as probes."

"Oh, like the MALPs."

It was Hel's turn to look bemused.

"As you say, O'Neill."

"Well, be careful. I mean, if I can spot that there's something up with these birds, other people are bound to."

Hel turned back to the ravens.

"Munin, return to Thor's hammer. Hugin, you must observe from the other side of the tent. Is that better, O'Neill?"

"I guess. So, er... is this one of the reasons why Thor said that you were a bit old-fashioned?"

"It is one of the reasons why he said I was more traditional than many of the Asgard, yes."

"Hmm. Shall we?" He gestured to the tent. The meeting would no doubt be long and tedious, and he knew he should have been comforted to know that the Asgard were watching out for them, to make sure they didn't cock-up again this time, but somehow he couldn't help feel like the whole thing was a big Asgard social experiment, and the new set up was just one huge Asgard laboratory. Ah, lovely day for paranoia.

Chapter 17

Two days later, like a couple of guilty schoolboys, they snuck back to the cabin. They had promised themselves two weeks, and had only had one, after all. During which time they had been shot at, beamed up, and been forced to come to terms with rather a lot. Jack shut the cabin door behind him and leant back against it.

"Phew."

"Phew." Daniel collapsed into his chair. "Do you think we'll be allowed a few days off from saving the world this time?"

"I somehow doubt it." He looked up at the roof. "Do you think that if I got this place lead-lined, it would stop the Asgard from beaming us up?"

"I doubt that, too. I think they'd be able to beam us up even from a concrete bunker a mile underground, if what they did to the Stargate is anything to go by. In fact, knowing Heimdall..."

"He'd want to know what we were up to." Jack opened the door again, just a touch, on the look out for ravens, before slamming it again.

"Whether we were up to no good. As would those damn reporters." Daniel sighed.

"Speaking of being up to no good..." Jack gave Daniel a knowing smile.

"Speaking of which."

"I am going to go into the bedroom. There, I am going to get naked. If you are not there within five minutes, I'll call Heimdall."

"Bastard."

"So sue me. It's been a long week."

"And they said romance was dead."

"I'm sorry Daniel, but you do understand." Jack waved his hand, "I have been through it all this week, and I'm afraid tact is one of the first things to go out the window when I get like this."

"Come on then, old man. Let's get you naked." Daniel stood up and reached for Jack, dragging him towards the bedroom. "Now, these choice supplies that you were talking about?" Jack grabbed at the bag on his way past.

Jack lit the lamps; he remembered Daniel's request. On a whim, he disappeared off into the kitchen and came back with the storm lantern and a couple of torches. By the time he'd finished, light shone from every flat surface. Daniel sat on the edge of the bed, bemused and smiling up at him.

They stripped silently, and slipped under the covers. It was cold that evening, and the fact that the house had been empty for a few days meant that everything was slightly damp. The open door let a bit of heat in from the fire, but they still shivered together.

"How tired are you?"

"Tired," said Daniel, looking down into Jack's eyes, "but not that tired."

Jack fished the bag up onto the bed.

"See if there's anything that takes your fancy in there. I'm afraid I didn't have time to sort it yet."

Daniel rummaged.

"A feather duster?"

"Uh... that was supposed to end up in the kitchen. I told you..."

"Hmm. Well, it has its uses, I suppose..."

"Daniel?"

"Ah. This is a bit more like it." Daniel waved the lotion in Jack's face. "And this." He extricated the box of condoms and sat them next to the lotion on the comforter. "But I'm not too sure about this." He pulled out the jar of peanut butter, showed it to Jack, then put it back into the bag.

"Again, that was supposed to end up in the kitchen."

"Why do I have trouble believing that?"

"Because you think I'm a dirty old man?"

"Because you are a dirty old man, O'Neill."

Daniel had second thoughts, reached down again, and placed the duster and the peanut butter on the side table. "You never know when I might get the urge for a bit of spring cleaning."

"Or you might get the munchies in the night."

"Exactly."

"So."

"So?"

"We're here in bed, it's only seven P.M., we have supplies..."

"And you've already admitted that you're tired."

"Yeah, but you haven't asked me how horny I am."

"Okay, I give up. How horny are you?"

Jack demonstrated against Daniel's leg.

"Now, you see, you could just be interested in a bit of light dusting." Daniel waved the duster at the man. "Or maybe you've been turned on by the thought of a nice, hearty peanut butter sandwich."

Jack growled and rolled Daniel over, rolled on top of him, tickling him.

"Stop! Stop it! Okay, I give up! You're not that tired."

Jack looked longingly at Daniel, and closed the distance between them for a deep, tender kiss.

"I am so tired," he commented, "that I intend to stay here in bed with you for the next two days." He gripped Daniel around the shoulders, "And then on Thursday, we are going to drive into town, pick up the damn results that you don't need anymore..."

"Cheers, Heimdall."

"Buy a whole lot more supplies... maybe even some more peanut butter," he waggled his eyebrows, "and then we will come back to bed for another twenty-four hours. At least. Where I will forbid you to mention the name of any members of the Asgard High Council..."

"Oh yes?"

"Under pain of... a good dusting!" Jack tickled Daniel some more, and seeing as how Daniel's mouth was open to both laugh and breathe, decided that it would be a good manoeuvre to explore it some more with his tongue.

"And then?"

"Then maybe... oh Daniel." Jack was at a bit of a loss for words. He wasn't good at talking about stuff at the best of times. Daniel took control of the situation.

"Jack," he kissed Jack on the jaw, then nuzzled into the side of his neck. "I know we don't really need the condoms... but just humour me for a little while here? It's a psychological thing..."

"Yeah, I know..."

"No... let me say it. I know I'm clean... I just want to ease in to this slowly..."

Jack chuckled, and Daniel slapped him on the arm.

"You know that's not what I meant." He smiled up at him. "Make sure we're both... okay with the whole thing."

"Yeah."

"I really want to be inside you, Jack."

"Yeah."

"And without this."

"Yeah. Ditto."

"Sap." Daniel slapped at Jack's arm again. "However, if you don't stop talking about it and make with the action, I might lose the incentive altogether."

"Oooh! Now who's being romantic?"

"Shut up and kiss me, Jack."

They'd actually done quite a lot of discussing on the way up here. Daniel had been fairly explicit about his expectations, and Jack had almost driven the truck off the road and into a ditch. Twice.

Daniel leant forward, and Jack met him halfway. Hell, but Jack decided he liked this position, pinning Daniel to the bed and trying to drag his tonsils out of him. Daniel's hands snaked down his back.

Jack pretty much struggled to stop his body from going into automatic pilot. When he thought about it, which he actually did quite a lot, although he tried not to think too much when they were actually doing it... when he thought about it, he couldn't believe just how right this all felt to him. How much like coming home. He should have been doing this years ago. Years and years. He stopped the thought, and got down to the serious business of seeing just how long he could kiss Daniel for without needing to come up for air.

Daniel's tongue won its current battle and pushed into Jack's mouth. His mind soared at the relief of having Jack naked and pressing him into the bed. He opened his legs, letting Jack move in between them. His calf still twinged occasionally, but he was fast forgetting about his injury. My god, they were actually going to do this.

"Hey," whispered Jack, sexy and sultry in his ear.

"Mmm?"

"I just realised that I've missed the first few weeks of the hockey season."

Daniel just had to slap him again for that. Right before he closed his eyes and bit down lovingly hard into Jack's shoulder. Jack groaned, moving into it and shaking his head.

They tousled, kissing sloppily. Jack broke off and licked a line towards Daniel's ear. Daniel's fingernails in Jack's shoulders told him that he'd found a sensitive spot, and he teased at Daniel with his tongue, before nibbling down his neck to his collarbone. Daniel sighed, stroking and raking at Jack's back. Daniel was determined to leave some kind of mark tonight.

They moved together on the bed, Jack's hands gripping Daniel tight, moving occasionally, sliding slickly down Daniel's sweaty torso, a light touch under a rib, a curve of a finger around the contours of one of his perfect ears.

Daniel relished the weight on him, and let himself go. He wanted this, god how he wanted it, thrusting up to meet him, being driven frantic just wanting Jack to get with the program, goddammit, make with the action. The covers slid back, down onto the end of the bed as Daniel hitched up one leg and hooked it over Jack's shoulder. Jack took it as a sign, a very good sign. There were still parts of Daniel that felt to him like unexplored territory. Ground just desperate to be touched, felt, enjoyed, licked, maybe.

He looked down into passionate blue eyes as his hand stroked a line down past Daniel's balls and over the ridged skin towards his anus. Daniel covered his sharp intake of breath, biting at his lower lip. A flutter of the eyelids, then all his attention was back on Jack, focusing on nothing but the man in front of him, the sensations that were coursing through his body. Jack grazed the area again, finding his goal with his thumb, then moving his forefinger back over.

"Okay?" he asked, nervous for him, desperate for him.

"Mmm." Something in Daniel's eyes flickered, then settled down. Another good sign.

Steadying Daniel's leg a little, Jack picked up the bottle of lotion and squirted some into the palm of his hand. Man, but this stuff was cold too; something Daniel wouldn't appreciate in such an intimate place, of that he was sure. No, that would have to wait until summer... next summer, when they could come up here, make out under the stars, go skinny dipping... torment Daniel with an ice cube after. But then summer was a long time away. They'd probably be off-world, killing bad guys. Too frazzled to get the good kind of action.

Jack warmed the lotion in his hands, rubbing it over both of them before realising that he now had two wet hands, and he really had to hold on to Daniel with the other.

Daniel noticed the predicament, and took Jack's hand, placing it on his very erect cock.

"Oh, yeah. That's the ticket," he sighed.

Jack's fingers worked down between the cheeks of Daniel's ass again, finding what they were after. With a little pressure applied, Daniel was breached, wriggling slightly on the bed. If it were possible, his pupils dilated more. Jack looked down into the near-blackness and saw his own near-black eyes reflected back up at him.

Daniel felt the work-hardened finger tip stretch him, his breath coming in short bursts. It was almost too much, in a nowhere near enough kind of way. He started to hyperventilate, noticed Jack's brow furrow, then got himself under control.

"Okay?"

Daniel couldn't speak, just nodded, and Jack leaned in for a kiss, returned wholeheartedly. He licked at Jack's lips, taking the kiss over onto his jaw, grating against the evening's stubble, nibbling his way down onto Jack's throat. Jack took the opportunity to reach for Daniel's other leg, assisting it onto his other shoulder. Here they were, together then, locked.

Jack bent his finger at the knuckle, easier than he would have thought; twisted, pulled out slightly, then added the second finger. Again, a reaction from Daniel; a sigh.

"Jack..."

"Mmm..."

"Just do it, Jack."

"No, Daniel."

"Jack."

Daniel sounded dangerous; but no way would Jack be overruled on this. He rarely was on anything this important.

"No, Daniel," he scissored his fingers in him, feeling the man writhe underneath him, slippery as an eel. Or he was back at the fair, riding the bucking bronco.

"Easy, tiger."

Daniel focussed, and gave him that look. The 'you'll pay for that later' look, the one that made it all so worthwhile.

"Nearly, Daniel," Jack took a deep breath, licked into Daniel's mouth again, teasing at the hot wetness, moving between the rasping companionship of Daniel's tongue, deep, deep into the man's mouth, around teeth, inside of cheeks, fiery warm, before pulling away, and licking a hot, salty line down Daniel's neck to his collar bone.

"Oh, God."

Daniel held him tighter, ran his long fingers up and down, treated Jack like a damn prize grand piano.

Two fingers suddenly became easy. He pulled back, added a third.

"Jaaack," Daniel sighed, deep and breathy. "Just do it, Jack. Please? Do it now, Jack."

He pleaded, he cajoled, honestly he tried, but he was at Jack's mercy. There wasn't a thing he wouldn't do... a thing that he wouldn't give up if Jack specifically asked for it.

Jack drew one hand down his dick again, coating it with the thick fluid. The remnants on his hand he tried to smear over Daniel's ass. Daniel lifted himself up, begging. He dug in his fingernails again, desperate.

It was the eyes that drew Jack back. He nodded and withdrew his fingers; positioned himself and pressed forward. Daniel moved slightly, helping Jack to start easing himself slowly in.

"Now, Jack. Move, dammit."

But Jack couldn't. He let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding, and felt... star-struck; Daniel laid out before him, naked and glorious.

"Jack."

Jack felt Daniel start to relax around him.

"Jack?" Daniel asked, concerned.

"Daniel."

And then Jack moved, started to flow, driving slow and hard into the man in front of him.

Daniel reached his hands out to him; they interlaced fingers, Jack using Daniel for support, Daniel pushing back. And the eyes... dammit, Jack thought, it had been those eyes that had started this whole thing off in the first place.

Daniel loved the feel of Jack, the power of the man taking him with such passion, such determination. He'd wavered unsteadily on the fringe of hero-worship for a while there, but now, it was so much more, an all-consuming love, an unwavering need. Jack smiled at him, and freed his hands, leaning forward to change the angle. Daniel gasped as Jack's twisting movement momentarily brushed the sweet spot deep inside him.

Jack was lost, lost in time, in the moment, totally gone gonzo lost in Daniel never coming back... He kept up the rhythm, slow and determined, driving Daniel crazy.

"Jack... faster..."

"It won't..."

"I don't care..." he did care, passionately, deeply, but even so... "just... faster."

Jack gripped on tight, the sweat gleaming on his brow.

"And harder, harder."

"Don't ask for much, do you?" Jack grinned, bit his bottom lip and switched to a punishing, pounding rhythm. Daniel groaned, long, drawn out, passionate. Dammit, but he was hardly going to last another minute at this pace. But what a minute. And what Daniel wanted, Daniel got. Even if it killed Jack in the process.

Jack almost slipped on the bedclothes, watched as a fat droplet of sweat that had precariously hung from the tip of his nose fell silently onto Daniel's magnificent stomach. He watched Daniel's eyes close, as he tilted his head back and opened his mouth into an ecstatic 'o'. Daniel reached down to his dick but Jack was already there, a firm hold, setting up the same fierce treatment outside as in. Rough, way rougher than Jack could ever dared hope.

A deep, guttural roar burst from Daniel, as Jack felt Daniel's orgasm pulse through him, over Jack's hand. Daniel clenched his buttocks uncontrollably, writhing, muscles seeming to tighten all over his body. He bit down on his lush lower lip so hard, Jack wouldn't have been surprised if he had made it bleed.

Daniel's orgasm did it for Jack. The sight and feel of the man in front of him, pulsing up through his hand and the feel of his dick in Daniel's ass sent him over the edge. Jack pumped furiously into him as Daniel finally stilled.

Jack was about to withdraw, but caught a glance from Daniel, who shook his head slightly, and drew Jack in for a powerful hug. Jack kissed the side of his face, breathing deep at the hollow of his collarbone before licking away at it again. He felt wetness on his brow and looked up, shocked to see Daniel crying silent tears.

"Daniel?"

"Its... okay, Jack... it's just thank you... thank you..."

Jack was totally lost on how Daniel's mind worked, but he guessed that this was a relief thing, a release thing. He caressed the tears away, smoothing them into the softness of Daniel's face with his thumb. Daniel reached up and took the thumb, kissing it, before bringing Jack's face back down to him for another kiss.

When Jack was finally released, he slipped away from Daniel and they lay close together, pulling the covers up and reaching for each other. Daniel hooked his leg over Jack's thigh, stroking lazily.

There weren't any words, not really, to say what Jack wanted to say. 'I love you' came close, but didn't quite cut it. 'Be mine forever' came close, but was just a tad possessive, and that was a trait he'd had trouble with in the past. Daniel solved the problem for him.

"Don't go," he whispered, his hand brushing softly over the hair on Jack's arm.

"Never," he replied.

They held each other, long minutes, the air cooling around them.

"Daniel."

Daniel caught his serious expression and stopped Jack with a finger to his lips.

"I don't want to talk about the world tonight. Tonight is just for us."

Jack couldn't help but wonder though. They'd only have a few days here. Then, the stress would be back upon them. These few days, they needed this to make the relationship fast; become so secure with each other that nothing the world could throw at them would ever break them apart. He thought they could do that, he really did.

Already, all over the world, he could see things starting to improve. There was the new-found openness about the Stargate program, the alliance with the Asgard, the possibility of changes for the good everywhere. But... there were the dark spots too. What about Seth, and the Church of the Third Millennium? Would the SGA ever be as it was before?

"No," said Daniel, "Uh-huh. You..." he tapped Jack on the nose, "are thinking again."

"Mmm," Jack sighed. Yeah. Enough. He made an executive decision and grabbed Daniel by the ass. The world - that was all for another day. Tonight, he had the most important thing in his life to think about, and that was the man lying here beside him, silently pledging himself to him.

"You're thinking way too hard, Jack," Daniel sighed, as he drew Jack in for another kiss.

~END~


End file.
